Staff Spotlight: Michelle Bonar

My journey with Special Olympics New York began in May of 2021, although at the time I had no idea just how much it would change my life.

For 17 years, I worked in the pension fund of a health care union. I loved my coworkers and had a steady career, but something always felt like it was missing. I didn’t know what that was. I never imagined that a simple playground clean-up with my nephew would open the door to a new path—one that would eventually lead me here.

It all started with my nephew, Max. He was four years old then, and he has autism. I took him to a playground clean-up at his school, Bornhava, which is a school for children with developmental disabilities. I didn’t know what to expect since this was my first real experience with this community. From the moment we arrived, the students, alumni, and their families welcomed us with open arms. That day, I felt something special. I instantly fell in love.

While talking with parents at the event, someone mentioned another volunteer opportunity at Highmark Stadium with Harrison Phillips’ Playmakers. I signed up, not knowing it would change everything. At that event, the woman at the station next to me complimented my Buffalo Bills sneakers. That’s the day I met Erica Raepple, Senior Director of Development in the Western Region. We started talking, and she told me all about Special Olympics. Her passion was contagious. By the time our conversation ended, I knew I wanted to get involved. Erica mentioned the Buffalo Bowl happening the next weekend, and that same night I went home and registered to volunteer.

At the same time, I was going through a big life change. My daughter had just graduated high school. For years, my life had revolved around practices, games, and being the busy mom of an athlete. Suddenly, she needed me less, and I started asking myself, “What’s my purpose now?”

Volunteering gave me the answer. Each event filled me with joy and excitement. I couldn’t wait to be around the athletes again, to see their determination and their smiles. Before I knew it, I was volunteering at my first Polar Plunge and later joined both the Buffalo Bowl and Polar Plunge committees.

Soon, my involvement grew beyond volunteering. I began working part-time with People Inc., providing respite care for Max. That led me to do community habilitation with one of my sister’s former students, a young woman with autism.

When I first met her, she was shy and quiet, didn’t really like to leave home. With time and encouragement, I watched her open up and try new things. Fast forward three years: She has completed the Early Childhood Certificate Program at a local community college, volunteers weekly at a hospital on the mother-baby floor, and has held a steady job as a daycare aide for more than a year. Knowing I had a part in supporting her journey is one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve ever had.

I also decided to try coaching. My first team was softball. I was an assistant coach to the team. After 16 years of watching my daughter play, I knew the sport—but it turned out I was not great at playing it.  The athletes ended up teaching me.

From there, I took on a bocce team. None of us had ever played before—so we learned together. That season at State Games, we proudly brought home silver and bronze medals. Since then, my bocce team has become like family. We keep in touch year-round, celebrating each other’s wins, supporting one another when needed, and even get together in the off-season.

I never thought I would leave the Pension Fund. But when the Associate Director of Development position opened at Special Olympics New York, I knew I had to apply. If I didn’t, I would always wonder what if. Leaving my job was both the hardest and easiest decision I’ve ever made.

Special Olympics has shown me that I have so much more to give—and that I’m capable of things I never imagined. Most importantly, it has given me the chance to make a real difference doing something I truly love.

This was not the path I thought I would take, but it is exactly where I’m meant to be.

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