WABUSH, N.L. — When cross-country skier Jody Lawrence carries the flag and competes for his province at the Special Olympics Winter Games in Ontario he will make history as the first Labradorian selected for the national competition.
"Posters congratulating him have been put up all over town and he is taking it all in," says his mother Rhonda, who is also team coach. "We are very proud of him. He had worked hard and come a long way and gives 100 per cent to his ability."
Jody will join four more skiers on the team from the island, and about 40 athletes from this province for the Feb. 25-29 event in Thunder Bay. Along with coaches and staff, they will be a force of about 65.
Not only will Jody compete, he has also been chosen as the province's flag bearer for the opening ceremonies.
When asked if he would like to be the flag bearer, he replied in his own quiet manner, "no problem".
Being active has always been an important and natural part of Jody's life.
His father Tony, an accomplished soccer player, and Rhonda, one of the province's best cross-country skiers, have always included their son in their fitness routines.
Jody was naturally attracted to cross-country skiing with it being such an important activity for his parents. As a teen he took part in the well-known Labrador Loppet, skiing the 28-kilometre distance from Fermont to Labrador City.
Jody got his first taste of competition in 1998 when he participated in the provincial winter games held in Labrador West.
Jody was encouraged by his mom to join dry-land training. Walking the hills and trails with ski poles in summer made him stronger and more keen for the winter snow.
He also attended the Labrador Cup soccer tournaments in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, where he was given a team jacket and made coach one year.
He skis for the Menihek Nordic Ski Club and his enjoyment of sports led him to volunteer by helping out with the Grade 5 ski program there, and for soccer events.
New opportunities
Opportunities for competition were limited in Labrador West but that all changed with Labrador West Big Landers. The Special Olympics group formed a chapter in Labrador West encouraging not just athletic events, but a broad range of life skills as well.
"Before the Special Olympics, there weren't many opportunities to compete. He would go to things like winter games but there wasn't a category for him to compete.
"That's changed, with events like the Winter Olympics, and many sports organizations have become more inclusive," says Rhonda.
One of Jody's first big competitions was the Special Olympics in Grand Falls-Windsor where he and other Labrador West residents competed in cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
Jody took home two gold medals and a silver from those games. Encouraged by his results, he later went on to the Labrador Winter Games where he won gold in skiing and silver in snowshoeing.
Jody was selected to join the provincial XC Special Olympics ski team last June.