Nicole Pecharsky
Award: Female Coach of the Year
All about Nicole
Three fun facts about Nicole
1. I am taking my mathematics and statistics degree
2. Aside from swimming I am absolutely obsessed with hockey as a long suffering and somewhat foolishly optimistic Oilers fan
3. Finally, when not on the pool deck or studying I love to spend time outdoors hiking across this beautiful province!
In her time outside Special Olympics she….
Hiking, running, watching hockey, coffee drinking, travelling, and spending time with my amazing friends and family. Holy smokes – you are a busy gal!
We asked Nicole if she could travel to one place in the world and have lunch with anyone, where would she go and who would she have lunch with.
Wow! What a tough question! I would certainly say, I am absolutely dying to go to New Zealand (I have to see all that beautiful scenery I have been admiring in Lord of the Rings in real life). As for who that is with, I certainly couldn’t pick between any of my incredible family or friends, so I would have to with go with James Acaster (the fabulous British comedian), as I love to laugh!
Special Olympics Involvement
Years and areas of service
She has been with Special Olympics Edmonton for 4 years and is now one of our Head Coaches for our swim program! Way to go Nicole!
We asked how Special Olympics has impacted her life
Special Olympics has forever changed my life for the better. Joining up four years ago as a naive and slightly homesick university student, Special Olympics gave me a sense of family in the city. I have cherished every moment getting to work with these amazing athletes, seeing them grow as all around as swimmers and people. Coming to the pool each and every week and being so warmly welcomed by this community, has brought immeasurable joy to my life. I thank the program, and all involved for providing me the opportunity to share my love of swimming with an incredible group of athletes. Oh boy, let us grab the tissues! We are SO happy you are a part of the SO family.
Her advice for someone new who wanted to become involved with Special Olympics
Cherish every moment and embrace the unexpected! Volunteering with Special Olympics brings with it so much joy. Each and every day will provide a different challenge but also opportunity. You get to work with some incredible athletes and be a part of an amazing community, every hour you spend volunteering you will never regret.
A memorable Special Olympics moment for her
I have been fortunate enough to have many memorable moments, but nothing beats the first day back at a new season. Being reunited with all the athletes and being so warmly welcomed back truly reminds me of how incredibly blessed I am to be part of this community.
About this award
Nicole was nominated for this award and chosen by people in her community. She had a few words to say about this…
I cannot thank you all enough. To be honored in such a way has absolutely floored me. To see that this community recognizes the work and that I am making a difference, brings an unmatched warmth to my heart. It truly has been one of the biggest blessings of my life to get the opportunity to be a coach for the swimming program. I thank you all for accepting me into this incredible community and providing me with a family in the city. To the athletes, parents, caregivers, and fellow coaches I sincerely thank you all for making Special Olympics a wonderful place to be. See you all on the pool deck!