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Vanessa Nieto Díaz, a student of the Pan-American Institute in Panama City, Panama, is already a veteran volunteer for Special Olympics. Díaz began volunteering at 14, doing administrative tasks such as registering athletes and making phone calls.
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Volunteer and track coach, Vanessa Nieto Diaz, with an athlete during the 2004 Special Olympics Panama Regional Games. [Photo courtesy of Special Olympics Panama] |
Though not the most exciting work, Díaz noted, "I felt satisfied afterwards because I knew that in one way or another all of my efforts would help Special Olympics activities."
Then in 2002, Díaz became an athletics coach. From the moment she entered the gymnasium on that first day of coaching, Díaz was welcomed with warm greetings and hugs from the athletes who had never met her. "Immediately, I realized just how much love was passed on by each athlete," she said.
From then on, Díaz committed every Saturday to the track and admits that the athletes have taught her many things as well. "Every time I feel as though I am incapable of doing something, I think of the athletes because they have taught me by example how to be persistent with my goals and increase my capacity to love."
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