Adversity comes in all shapes and sizes and with a great team, there's so much that can be accomplished.
Red Deer's Dallas Soonias, a former member of Canada's Men's National Team, brought his message of overcoming the odds and perseverance to the halls at the Harvest Centre Tuesday, for the 16th Special Olympics Celebrity Breakfast.
Following his appearance as the celebrity guest speaker in front of hundreds of people, Soonias said it was a no-brainer when he was first asked to give a speech.
"Everybody in this room ,whether they're coaching, volunteering, or athletes – it's crazy inspiring just being in the room. It was an honour," he said.
Soonias, who's now 40, grew up in Red Deer and graduated from Hunting Hills High School.
He's also Cree/Anishinaabe and registered with the Chippewas of Nawash in Ontario, but he has close ties to Red Pheasant First Nation, his father's band. He shared some insight with the crowd about the work he does with indigenous communities.
The former national team member also suited up for the Red Deer College Kings volleyball team, when they won two national titles before joining the U of A Bears, winning another national championship at the USports level.
His volleyball career took him many places including 15 years with the national team as a right side hitter. While there, he was the first Indigenous man to represent Canada in volleyball and won bronze at the 2015 Pan American Games.
"It sets the foundation for your life. I started when I was 18 and finished in my 30s. I started as a kid and came out as a man, albeit a busted man. Nothing works anymore but it gives you perspectives on the world. You learn different languages and truly different ways of life," he said about his experience with Team Canada.
"You come out the other end a far more rounded person than when I left my hometown because I experienced so much."
He also played many years of professional volleyball across Europe and Asia before retiring. Despite that, he didn't stay completely away from volleyball ,serving as an assistant coach at the U of A men's volleyball team, where he was presented the Inspire Award in 2021.
Away from the game, he got a degree in psychology from the University of Calgary and married Red Deerian Jaimie Soonias who also represented Canada on the international volleyball stage.
Together they created the clothing brand "Neechie Gear" which gives a five per cent profit to help kids play sports. They also do work within Indigenous communities including a program called Volleyball on the Move Clinic where he worked with Volleyball Canada in elementary schools in White Horse.
"If people reach out and I have the time, we go," he said.
"It's often you have to take five planes that just get smaller and smaller to get to these places. The opportunity for them, you know nobody goes out there. As mentioned, we know there's a bunch of crazy athletes out there who could be the Olympians. If we can give them the slightest nudge in that direction then it's worth it for us."
He also transitioned from sports into filmmaking. In 2023, he wrote, directed, and produced a short film called Frank Gets the Job Done. He also has another short film in the works.
His passion for filmmaking first began when he had to take a drama class to fulfill a credit while finishing his degree.
"Here I am 32 years old. My knees don't work, my back, my shoulder, and everything is busted. I'm also close to full-on depression and then all of these 17-18-year-olds who are finding themselves and the world is in front of them. I loved it," he said.
"The class was amazing and I fully bought in. Then I took another drama class and I got an agent and started acting... I realized that I'm 6'8" and if I'm going to be in more stuff I'm gonna have to start creating it myself."
Special Olympics Red Deer athlete and coach Elisabeth Baril also delivered a moving speech that brought the crowd to their feet.
The swimmer has dealt with a rare heart condition called tetralogy her whole life and was also diagnosed with 22q11 deletion at a young age.
Despite the challenges these have caused her, she continues to participate in the sport she loves and has competed in various local special Olympic events.
"Even when I did take breaks from it, I always had a passion for swimming. It was always just something that I've loved," she said.
She explained that joining the Special Olympics helped her immensely in fitting in with her peers. Their inclusivity made it easier to participate in an enjoyable environment.
Next year, she'll compete in her first provincial Special Olympics event in August 2025.
Special Olympics Red Deer currently has 300 athletes which is an increase of 10 per cent compared to last year. They currently offer 14 sports including their newest addition of pickleball in partnership with the Red Deer Pickleball Club.
Jerry Tennant, Special Olympics Red Deer chairman, said every year this is their biggest fundraising event.
"This is close to our biggest one ever. Before COVID we may have had a few more tables but it's slowly growing back," he said.
"It changes year to year but right now we're really well off for coaches. Some communities really struggle but I usually get a call every week or two from someone wondering how they can get involved. Moving forward it would be nice to add maybe a couple more of the winter sports... If we continue to get more athletes we're going to need more coaches."