Golden Nuggets

Karen Mengersen asked herself a lot of questions when her son, Mark, was born with Down Syndrome in 1984. Was there something she could have done differently during her pregnancy? Will she be able to provide him what he needs in life? What activities can he do to find his sense of community?

All of this led to Karen stepping up to become a parent rep on the Olds & District Special Olympics in 1995, when Mark joined the organization as an athlete. She went on to become Chair in 2003, when the previous Chair was stepping down and she was afraid the group would fold. She has been in the position ever since. Olds is one of 25 affiliates in Alberta, all of which strive to create opportunities for athletes to compete, connect and flourish!

“It took me time to adjust to his needs, but one day I told myself to wake up and smell the roses – it’s not all dandelions and weeds!” said Karen, who lives with Mark on their large plot of land in Olds. “When Mark was born, Ernest and I went to conferences and met lots of families in our efforts to understand and provide for Mark’s needs. I knew I could make a difference for him and wanted to expose him to as much as I could – to take him as far as I could. But his personality is so outgoing and lovely that everyone is drawn to him, and that creates so many opportunities for him. He is having a good life – we’re having a good life together.”