STELLARTON – Cathy Mason’s list of Special Olympic leadership roles, at provincial, national, and international events, as well as prestigious honours and awards, easily stretches down a standard 9″x11″ page and continues to a second, filling it as well.

The impressive list, amassed from 29 years of volunteering, has earned Mason a 2021 Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame induction. The in-person ceremony will take place Nov. 20 in Halifax.

“It was shocking but really nice to be honoured in this regard,” said the Stellarton resident, already a member of the Pictou County Sports Heritage Hall of Fame.

“I didn’t think something like the Nova Scotia Sports Hall of Fame would be in my future. I’m very humbled and excited.”

Mason thanked Lesley Sobey from Special Olympics Pictou County for putting together the nomination and all those who have supported her over the years while being a coach, coordinator, board member, Chef de Mission, and whatever other hat she needed to wear to help the athletes succeed and enjoy their experience.

Starting out

The start of her Special Olympics journey was that simple – the floor hockey team needed a coach.

“I work for Highland Community Residential Services, I started working for them 30 years ago,” Mason said. “As part of my job, I was taking some of the people I support to their Special Olympic practices and in this case, they needed a coach, so I stepped in.”

And those who step in, inspired by the athletes’ desire and passion, usually don’t step out.

“Like most people who get involved with Special Olympics say, once you start, you’re hooked,” Mason said.

“I did quite a few years of coaching and then turned to the committee side of things – the local committee here in Pictou County. We have a regional coordinator for that which I did, and then took on more of a mission staff role.”

“That is kind of what got me started, it has been a great 29 years since and it has been awesome.”

Mason talked more about working with the athletes, adding she has received so much more from her involvement than she could ever possibly put in.

“Just to be able to witness the athleticism,” she said. “Whether it’s an athlete’s first medal or their first competition at a regional, provincial, national, or international event, they’re just all so inspiring. They give it their all and it’s just a great organization to be part of.”

Friendships are quickly developed and that’s another layer of glue for those involved.

“Special Olympics for me has been like a second family … that’s another aspect of staying involved,” Mason said. “The people you meet along the way. A lot of the athletes are more than just athletes, they’re my friends as well.”

Asked about a standout memory, Mason said it’s hard to boil it down to a specific time or event, but one occurrence does help to encapsulate a goal for her when it comes to Special Olympics. It involves legendary Canadian weightlifter Jackie Barrett – a 13-time goal medalist competing for his country at the Special Olympics World Summer Games.

“My goal has always been for our athletes to be recognized for their athleticism, like any other athlete who is competing,” Mason said.

“We were In L.A. and Jackie was competing, potentially his last competition. People lined up two hours ahead of time to get a seat to watch him lift and then to have them give him a standing ovation, giving him the respect he earned from his lifting over the years.

“That’s one of the things which has stood out for me. That’s what you want, to have everyone see them for their true athleticism.”

She added, more and more, that is happening.

“We, as a society, have changed our way of thinking,” she said, making note of the 2018 National Summer Games in Antigonish where she ran into many people she knew taking in their first Special Olympic competitions.

“People who said, ‘geez, I didn’t realize, this is really good competition.’ They were watching basketball or softball and saying to me, ‘these athletes are really good.’ So we’ve certainly come leaps and bounds from when I first started,” Mason said.

Advancements thanks in no small part to one of Nova Scotia’s newest sports hall of famers.