Maureen has competed in tenpin at the Special Olympics nationals competition, which is held every four years, and Stella says it is a highlight for the athletes.
She says Special Olympics helps build confidence among participants and is inclusive.
"You don't have to be good at sports to be in it, but at the same time, there's room for them to be quite competitive."
The regular training sessions are also helpful for the likes of her youngest daughter.
"Krystal's at home all the time so that's her main social event. It also helps give them a bit of extra exercise."
While at school, Maureen played miniball, cricket and soccer, and Stella says Special Olympics athletes are often involved in mainstream sport.
For the past three years, she has helped a group participate in the Rotorua Marathon, including two athletes who ran the quarter marathon this year.
Special Olympics also fielded two teams at a new national Maori basketball tournament this year, and Stella says the organisation hopes to grow the number to four at the next event.
Elsewhere in the Bay of Plenty, Special Olympics swimmers regularly compete in Mt Maunganui's Sand to Surf ocean swim.
Tauranga swimming coach Pat Wakelin says their participation is great because they are treated as equals, and Special Olympics would also like to see more Bay children participating in sports through the organisation.
"It will help them enrich their lives and improve the quality of their lives and keep them expanding their horizons," says Pat's fellow athletics coach, Ethney Barnaby.
One of Ethney's athletes, Justene Noyer, stands as a shining example of someone whose life is enriched by Special Olympics.
This year, Justene fulfilled a long held dream to represent New Zealand at the Special Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles.
More than 6500 athletes from 165 countries participated in the competition, New Zealand athletes winning 32 medals, including 11 gold.
Justene came fourth in the 100m and fifth in shot put, and revelled in the experience, beginning with the opening ceremony.
"Before I walked in, I was starting to get tears in my eyes. It was my first time out of the country."
Tenpin bowler Neil Oliphant also represented the country at the Games.
He came away with silver in the teams event and bronze in the doubles, after winning gold at Special Olympics national competitions.
Neil, 45, has been bowling for more than 20 years and regularly scores 200-plus in a game. He is often a "five bagger", a bowler who accomplishes five strikes in a row, and watching him in action, he is graceful and determined.
"It's something to keep me busy," he says. "It keeps your concentration going."
Neil is meticulous about recording all his bowls from his Saturday practices with coach Raewyn Judson in an exercise book. He also plays socially on a Wednesday but says it is hard to tell when he bowls best, blaming lack of sleep in Los Angeles for coming eighth in the singles event there.
Raewyn, 73, coaches Neil and the other tenpin bowlers each weekend, despite having never bowled herself.
"I'm a softballer by trade," she says.
She says all participants, even those who cannot communicate verbally, get pleasure from the sessions. "They're very accepting of each other. It's a social outlet for them and it's good exercise. By the time they've had three games, they've had a good workout."
Raewyn's son Graeme, 29, is one of the bowlers, and has recently tried powerlifting with Special Olympics.
"It's good for me because I've got to get rid of the puku," says Graeme, pointing to his stomach.
It's Monday evening and Central North Island regional sports coordinator Colleen Black is joining a Special Olympics committee at its monthly meeting.
Colleen is the only paid employee of Special Olympics in the room-the rest are volunteers-and she organises about 30 sporting and fundraising events in the Bay of Plenty/Waikato each year.
She also works with 44 schools to link students through to the region's seven Special Olympics clubs and aims to support the clubs' 142 volunteers.
"The people and the athletes keep you involved," she says. "You don't get to walk away. You're hooked for life."
She has worked for the organisation nine years, and says awareness of Special Olympics has greatly improved in the time. Instead of people asking, "When's the next Olympics?", more are understand the organisation provides sports training and competition for anyone with intellectual disabilities. There is also less confusion with Paralympics, which refers to physical disabilities.
R.J. Greer, 40, is the committee's athletes' rep and competes in athletics, swimming and tenpin bowling. He has nothing but praise for Special Olympics after years of involvement around the North Island.
"It means a lot. I like competing. I like being at training sessions and being included in sport. I've got a lot of friends out of it."
Swimming coach Pat Wakelin has volunteered more than 15 years, joking that she'll stop when she's "in a wooden box".
Pat's 34-year-old daughter, Kellie, began swimming with Special Olympics when 15, and Pat says the organisation helps all participants build crucial life and social skills.
"They build a really great comradeship."
Pat takes groups away to competitions and says it can be a big deal for those unused to travelling without their families. But on overnight stays, everyone takes pride in carrying out duties such as washing dishes, while bantering about rivals from other regions.
Over the years, Pat has "roped in" three staff members from Bay Engineers, where she works, to volunteer at Special Olympics, one of whom is Keryn Darroch, now local club secretary.
"They're great people to be with," says Keryn, a volunteer for five years, while Michelle Senkus is involved in fundraising. She organised quiz and auction nights to get Justene and Neil to the World Summer Games, saying she is inspired to help Special Olympics athletes have opportunities the rest of us take for granted.
Colleen praises Michelle and the other volunteers, particularly the coaches, saying, "It's a full-time job outside work".
The organisation is always looking for more volunteers, says committee chairwoman Louella Axon, who has volunteered 10 years and has a 24-year-old son with Down Syndrome who participates in a range of sports.
"I'm firmly of the belief with these guys that sport provides a great outlet for them," says Louella. "You don't want them sitting in front of TV or playing computer games endlessly."
Apart from the physical benefits, she says, sport brings structure to participants' lives when finding a job can be impossible for many. Government funding cuts have made it a struggle for some to get transport to Special Olympics training sessions, Louella adds. At this point, her son Aaron joins the group and the whole room erupts with laughter at his jokes.
He says golf is his favourite sport and boasts that he is a rising talent. "I saw putts on TV with Tiger Woods and I want to be like him. I'm trying to be famous."
Brian Jenkins recently moved to the Bay and is continuing the work he began more than 20 years ago as Special Olympics powerlifting coach.
"It's very, very rewarding," the 55-year-old says. "They're very genuine people and very generous people."
Brian has also coached the mainstream national powerlifting team and says the benefits of working with Special Olympics athletes extend beyond their appreciation to coaching insights.
"It's a great way of learning your craft for the mainstream. If you can identify and develop and get the Special Olympics guys to lift well and perform well, it improves your ability to coach the mainstream."
Like Ethney, he says careful consideration of coaching methods is required for success.
Brian became involved with Special Olympics after giving people with intellectual disabilities work experience at gyms he owned in Invercargill, and believes more sports could benefit from connections to the organisation.
Special Olympics:
- Founded in 1968 by US
President John Kennedy's sister
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the
Special Olympics movement has
grown to more than 4.5 million
athletes in 170 countries and is
supported by 1.4 million
coaches and volunteers.
- Special Olympics New
Zealand was established in the
1980s and there are seven clubs
in the Central North Island with a
total of 1100 athletes and 142
volunteers.
- The Bay of Plenty has 398
school and club athletes.
- For more information on
Special Olympics Rotorua, see
specialolympicsrotorua.co.nz.
The branch also has a Facebook
page.
