"They have attended tournaments at a regional level and come home with medals. I believe that her guidance has given them the tools to achieve. She will be guiding them towards our national games in December."
Sharnell is from Taranaki, but has been in Whanganui for about 16 years. Much of that time was spent working at Mitre 10 Mega in various roles.
"After working out of Mitre 10 for so long, then becoming a business owner, I thought it was time to give back to the community which has helped me grow. I'm proud to call this place home, and about two and a half years ago I thought, now's the time I'd like to become a volunteer."
She signed up at Volunteer Whanganui.
"As luck would have it, Special Olympics Whanganui was looking for a powerlifting coach. I thought, this is it.
"I've been incredibly blessed ever since. I have four amazing athletes who have committed the last two and a half years to train with me two nights a week."
River City Boxing at Kaierau Rugby Club's Devon Rd headquarters have allowed Sharnell and her team to use their facilities.
Her four powerlifting proteges are Daniel Jeffrey-Allen, Freddie Wroe, Mikayla Shackleton and Bianca Guilford.
Jan Bublitz had wanted to establish a powerlifting team and she had those four athletes in mind.
"So they were looking for a coach and a team manager," says Sharnell.
Sharnell runs a workplace training business, focusing on numeracy and literacy for adults, and she and her husband Brett operate the arborist business Tree Truck Ltd. She is also on the committee of Special Olympics Whanganui.
Despite being so busy, she still finds time to volunteer.
"Absolutely. I get great joy out of it.
"[The athletes are] amazing, wonderful people who embraced me very quickly. They would have been quite nervous, meeting a new person, learning a new sport, but they made me feel comfortable."
To the point, she says, where she can be brutally honest with her appraisal of their performance. "And they take the mickey out of me all the time."
She says their focus and discipline make her very proud.
Sharnell's volunteer work entails paperwork, training, fundraising, going to competitions and taking care of her athletes.
"The cool thing about Special Olympics, when they prepare for National Summer Games, which is a massive event every four years, they get to qualify and go to a Tier 2 event, and part of that is an overnight stay, which is to prepare them for what will be five nights in Hamilton in December."
Last year's National Summer Games was cancelled.
"That was quite challenging for the athletes but they bounced back."
Special Olympics Whanganui is also sending a basketball team and a golfer to the games.
"If we were to grow powerlifting, which I would like to do, I would have to get another coach on board."
Special Olympics New Zealand stipulates a one-to-four ratio of coaches to athletes, for safety reasons.
Sharnell always appreciates her decision to take up volunteering.
"The benefit for me first and foremost is helping people. It's important to share your knowledge to grow others, and that's been really special for me, watching others grow. Secondly, it's about being part of something in the community, being involved in something and meeting new people."
This is a Public Interest Journalism funded role through NZ On Air
