Although Penny McDowall comes from a family of educators and specializes in special needs, she knew she didn’t want to teach in a classroom setting.
Trained in special needs and armed with a teaching degree having got a masters in educational psychology, she realized during work study at an adult training center that she enjoyed working with adult special needs clients who were trainable. This motivated her to finish her education in vocational rehabilitation.
McDowall first visited the Cayman Islands as a diver on a college trip and later became a dive instructor for Bob Soto’s Diving, where she stayed for five years until her son Jamie was born.
Then she went to work with Fitness Connection. It was after the birth of daughter Jessica that she applied to the education department and was accepted to teach at Lighthouse School.
There, she quickly realized that special needs children were not being given the chance to swim. This is where all the pieces fell into place for McDowall to fulfil her dreams and the dreams of others.
“The look of sheer pleasure on a multi-level physically challenged person who is confined to a wheelchair when they are able to float and move freely in the water is the smile you will never forget,” she said. “It sees right into your soul.
“I have always valued special needs persons for who they are, but Special Olympics has given me a way to help them achieve greater goals for themselves than was ever possible.
“If I can get one athlete to grow, which might mean to do a stroke correctly without being disqualified in a race, to introduce themselves to other athletes from another country or sometimes to just even show up and participate, or have a family member come to realize that their athlete can accomplish feats that they never dreamed they could, I feel like I have achieved something.
“If you can ever be part of something that is so simple that brings that feeling to someone, you will never forget it,” she added.
It is because of this passion and the many successes of the Special Olympics Aquatics Program that McDowall has developed that Department of Sports Women’s Coordinator Merta Day has selected her to be profiled for Honoring Women Month.
She is also internationally recognized for her work and received an award by Special Olympics International. She was one of 40 to receive the Exemplary Coaches Award in 2007. She also received the Queen’s Badge of Honour in 2011.
“Ms. Penny gives so much of herself to these kids, from the time she started in 1992 to the present,” said Day. “She is well known for volunteering and upbeat energy and is recognized as a courageous problem solver.
“Additionally, she has been a leader, advocate, teacher and mentor to these kids, giving unselfishly to this program and to the kids and our community to ensure they continue to have access to swimming lessons, first for safety and for competitive swimming that propels them and the program to success.”
Despite her background in swimming and personal training, McDowall was not confident about her ability to instruct the kids in competitive swimming in a pool setting because she felt her talents were better suited to open water swimming.
“But after sending my first athlete, Lincoln Bodden, who went to New York for the Summer World games in 1995 and got two silver medals, I realized that I was doing something right and decided that the program should expand to include more athletes,” she recalled.
Now her Cayman Aquatic Model and Open Water training is used in Caribbean programs.
“Every time I travel with Special Olympics, I get asked how we make it work,” McDowall said. “We have developed a three-pronged model – the Lighthouse School’s learn to swim program, an adult program that keeps them swimming for exercise and recreation, and the competitive program that trains for participation in local swim meets and open water swims.
“These tend to flow into each other and have continued to expand into almost a fourth with open water swimming, but it would not be possible without the support of our local swimming pools, coaches and special needs programs.”
McDowall is also proud that her special needs athletes are accepted into community athletic programs and welcomed in local competitions. “It has taken a lot of work to get to this point,” she said.
She also takes great pride in Andrew Smilley’s development as an elite swimmer and that he was the first to secure a gold medal in open water swimming in Athens, Greece in 2011.
She acknowledges that there is more to be done. “I would like to see more adult athletes continue to develop in their sports even though some of them have a job and family responsibilities.
“I would like to see the continued growth of younger athletes, more family support and the addition of at least two more sports to offer the athletes more to choose from.”
But for this all to happen, she notes that Special Olympics requires more volunteers. “It doesn’t take a lot to assist, just show up and jump in. We have so much talent and resources in our community, but commitment is lacking. Yes, we can always use a donation, but we need volunteers to make it work.”
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