Her balance beam routine truly was perfect, and I was proud to be able to award to her the gold medal. Had I not been a sports volunteer that day, I would have missed this precious moment to celebrate her success and the chance to remind society of the potential of persons with mental retardation. We all need to feel validated, we need to feel we make a difference in our community and others lives. We have all been pleasantly surprised when asking a friend to volunteer to support one of our favorites causes. Volunteerism comes in many forms.
Volunteers can be any age.
As a world community, we all enjoy the feeling that we have something of value to contribute, and that we are needed. Give people a chance to feel that they matter. Nine years ago, I was proud to be asked by my husband, Bart Conner to serve as a volunteer to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. I especially enjoy working on the televised MDA Labor Day Telethon with a team of thousands of volunteers who donate their time on that US history weekend to serve people with neuromuscular diseases. When I look back at my Olympic career, it is true that I have had some great successes in my sport of gymnastics, but many of my most cherished memories are not from winning medals, but from the occasions when I have donated my time and energy to help others.