It's that time of year again!! This will be my 18th Polar Plunge at North Ave Beach! It's no secret that I absolutely despise the cold and always have layers on even when I'm inside, but that will NOT stop me from entering the cold waters of Lake Michigan for these amazing Special Olympics athletes all across the city of Chicago. Knowing where the money raised for this event goes, melts my heart and I would do anything for our Special Olympics athletes. That includes jumping in the icy waters of Lake Michigan despite my views on cold weather!!
I have been coaching Special Olympics athletes for 19 yrs and it's the absolute most BESTEST job in the world. Nothing beats seeing that smile on an athlete's face when they are amped about competing and especially the pride in their eyes when they get their award. No matter the disability, Special Olympics has something for everyone. Where else can you find that?
I teach at an all special ed high school (Northside Learning Center) and my students absolutely love competing in Special Olympics and are highly motivated by being involved in the program. This is why I continue to run our program because it makes them happy and gives them a platofrm to shine on where they can show the world how great they truly are. They have been my number one insipration especially while I was going through chemo and radiation treatments for breast cancer and my reason for getting up every morning to try and make a difference for them. They deserve to have Special Olympics in their lives and it's why I am willing to take the plunge again for my 200 plus athletes and all the athletes of Chicago so that we can continue to have these great opportunities for them.
So please help support Special Olympics and keep the organization going by making a donation to my page. Please feel free to spread the word and share my page with families, friends, collegues, social media, wherever to help raise money. Any amount will help make a world of a difference for our athletes and we are forever grateful for your generosity. See you IN the lake! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr