By Warren Goulding
Special Olympian Julie Black battled the butterflies and won, delivering a heartfelt welcome to Duncan’s newest retailer.
“JYSK has been a generous supporter of Special Olympics in Canada since 2004,” Black said in a speech delivered in front of the new store in the Duncan Mall.
“We are very excited to welcome your store to our community and we look forward to building a partnership in Duncan,” she said as people lined up for the grand opening waited for the doors to open on Saturday morning.
Black is one of 4,500 Special Olympic athletes from 55 communities across British Columbia. She has participated in various events for six years.
“I compete in seven different sports which include swimming, floor hockey, baseball, 5-pin bowling, soccer, bocce and track and field,” she said with pride.
“My favourite part of being in Special Olympics is being able to play sports. One of my favourite memories is when I went to provincials this past summer in Kamloops and ran the bases at softball skills.
“I have learned that if at first you don’t succeed you can try and try again and that is something our coaches have taught us.”