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80 # R I S I N G Y O U T H C O M M U N I T Y I M P A C T The Sunshine Swim Camp was led by #RisingYouth grantee Melissa Tobin in partnership with Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador to run a swim camp for athletes with intellectual disabilities and coaches from across the province, specifically targeting those from rural communities. The camp aimed to provide opportunities for youth with intellectual disabilities to be active and learn new skills. The camp would also teach coaches new swimming and coaching skills to improve the quality of the Special Olympics swimming programs. The coaches had a dedicated session to learn about coaching athletes with intellectual disabilities. They learned how to develop practice plans and incorporate other aspects of health and wellness into their programs. More than that, each coach went home with a binder full of resources to share with their other coaches and athletes. Melissa created a safe and inclusive learning environment for the athletes with sessions on swimming, nutrition, goal-setting, and yoga. It was a successful weekend with athletes improving their swimming skills, gaining confidence, and simply having fun! " As a coach myself, I was so proud to watch each and every athlete learn something new. All of the coaches were patient and encouraging. I was asked to travel to some of our rural communities to deliver more camps for all of the athletes. I am really looking forward to continuing this project with my peers." MELISSA TOBIN Sunshine Swimming Camp Melissa Tobin | $1,500 Conception Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador NEWFOUNDL AND AND L ABR ADOR Conception Bay is located on Beothuk territory. LEARN MORE AT WWW.WHOSE.LAND

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