WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. — There are 4,000 Special Olympics athletes and partners in WNY and they all play with heart. Some say volunteer coach Lisa Balus is the heartbeat. She volunteers year round, not just teaching her athletes about the games, but also about unity and empowerment.
"Our goal is to learn the sport, play together, have socialization, be friends, and have a good time. I'm here to make sure they're having a good time and we're learning," Balus said.
Balus coaches soccer, floorball and bowling. She started volunteering in 1999 because her twin brother, David, was a Special Olympics athlete himself.
"So I just learned over time how to recognize different needs, different abilities, and it's made me grow and it's made the athletes grow," she explained.
In October, Balus and her team went to the Special Olympics NY Fall games in Glens Falls. They brought home a bronze medal. In the past, she's also taken teams to the national Special Olympics. Her coaching style is competitive but comforting.
"She likes to take care of me. I look up to her. I love her to death," said Emily Gasiorowski, a soccer player on Balus' team.
Erica Raepple, the Senior Director of Development for Special Olympics NY, calls Balus a "yes person."
"Whenever you need something, if you ever need someone to mentor or coach her answer is always yes," said Raepple. "She just loves what she does and her passion shows through. So it's incredible to see the bond she has with her athletes."
And win or lose, it doesn't matter. The athletes have fun, and Balus takes joy in seeing them grow, both in sport and in life.
"It always makes my day because if I'm having a rough day at work and come here, everything's different. It makes it so much better for me," she said.
Balus was also in the first ever Polar Plunge 18 years ago, and now running into the frigid waters of Lake Erie is the biggest fundraiser for the local chapter of the Special Olympics.
It's happening December 6 and 7 and it's a great way to get involved. Click here for more info.
And if you'd like more info about volunteering or signing up a loved one to play sports, visit the Special Olympics website here.