Special Olympics New Zealand founder, Grant Quinn received the Sir Eion and Jan, Lady Edgar Lifetime Achievement Award, at the Sport New Zealand Awards on Monday 24 July 2023.
If you asked a person what they’d achieved in their life and they said, ‘Founded the Special Olympics in New Zealand’, you’d think wow, that’s pretty hard to top. What a wonderful achievement that is, just on its own.
He has kept on selflessly pitching in for 40 years as a volunteer coach, advocate, mentor, leader, fundraiser, organiser, administrator, and trustee — whatever he can give of himself to help.
People who know Grant and his wife, and rock, Wendy, will tell you their motivation has never been driven by a personal need.
Changing the public perception and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities more than fulfils that aspiration, and why Sport New Zealand was honoured to present Grant Quinn with this award.
Below is the full citation read for Grant at the ceremony.
It is my great privilege to present a Lifetime Achievement award to our next recipient.
This man has been such an outstanding champion of the Special Olympics in New Zealand that I am going to announce his name here at the outset. I am delighted to say that we are honouring Grant Quinn tonight.
If you asked a person what they’d achieved in their life and they said, ‘Founded the Special Olympics in New Zealand’, you’d think wow, that’s pretty hard to top. What a wonderful achievement that is, just on its own.
But Grant didn’t just get it off the ground. He has kept on selflessly pitching in for 40 years as a volunteer coach, advocate, mentor, leader, fundraiser, organiser, administrator, and trustee — whatever he can give of himself to help.
The story of how it began, in 1982, is folklore. Grant was a successful insurance broker, a St Pat’s Silverstream old boy, a family man who loved rugby, swimming, and his community, living in Lower Hutt where he was born and raised.
He was also the Hutt Swimming Club’s captain when a visiting American Rotary scholar, a woman named Dottie Fitzgerald, happened to take her Down syndrome twins to a Rotary IHC sports day in Tawa.
Dottie spotted local Down syndrome swimmer Colin Bailey, and she told Colin’s family about the Special Olympics World Summer Games that had become an established event in the USA with 50 countries taking part. They were taking place in Louisiana the following year, and New Zealand should send a team!
Then Dottie left for Japan — leaving Colin’s parents to wonder what to do next. So, they approached Grant at the swim club for help.
That was the life-changing moment. Not only for Grant himself, but for thousands of Kiwi families who would go on to enjoy the fun of the Special Olympics thanks to this man’s energy.
Grant has a warm, altruistic personality, and a drive to help others. He made a personal commitment to take Colin to Lousiana, found three other swimmers to form the very first New Zealand team, and looked after them as the coach and manager on a successful and fun adventure abroad where he was challenged to start up a formal organisation in New Zealand.
He then did an extraordinary thing. He went to his boss at AMP and requested a year’s unpaid leave so that he could get the New Zealand Special Olympics movement off the ground.
Grant travelled throughout New Zealand to talk to mayors and councils; host public meetings; spread the word; door-knock corporate sponsors — and succeeded in getting 20 local Special Olympics clubs established in the first year alone. A phenomenal achievement, starting from nothing.
He invited them all to the very first national games — taking on the organisation duties to host it as well, in Lower Hutt in 1985.
He got the likes of Rod Dixon, Sir Edmund Hillary, Sir John Walker and Dame Cath Tizard on board as supporters and drew 672 athletes from throughout New Zealand, as well as teams from Tasmania and New Caledonia.
Today there are 42 clubs, school programmes, and some 7000 active or past members!
In the Special Olympics world, Grant is an unusual volunteer as he didn’t have a family connection of his own with an intellectually disabled person. But he will tell you his life has been far richer for meeting some very special people.
He had grown up in an era when people with intellectual disabilities were still literally locked away in institutions. His greatest joy has been seeing athletes and their parents take such pride and pleasure from participating in what’s now a mainstream community sport: the Special Olympics — their achievements cherished by us all.
Grant has been a Special Olympics trustee from the earliest days, and served as Games Director for the 2005 Special Olympics National Summer Games in Christchurch, and, the Asia Pacific Invitation Games in the same year.
He has never hesitated to put himself out there, whether it’s taking on daunting administration jobs, or being the spokesperson, or running pig-in-a-barrel raffles at the street fundraiser.
He is also a charismatic entertainer, blessed with a Frank Sinatra voice. He’ll perform on stage for a good cause. You might also catch him singing, “You’re A Pink Toothbrush” at a special person’s birthday party.
A loved grandfather, Grant has also been heavily involved as a volunteer coach with the Naenae Boxing Academy and Naenae Youth Charitable Trust, formed in 2006 to help young people locally.
People who know Grant and his wife, and rock, Wendy, will tell you their motivation has never been driven by a personal need. Rather, it’s their selfless desire to create something of benefit for the community.
Changing the public perception and acceptance of people with intellectual disabilities more than fulfills that aspiration, and I am honoured to call Grant Quinn to the stage.