Manawatū Special Olympian Jesse Williams building up to World Games in Berlin

Manawatū swimmer Jesse Williams with his coach Carla L'Huillier. Photo / Supplied

Jesse Williams’ father taught him to swim as a child, sparking the Special Olympian’s lifetime interest in sports.

The 37-year-old has been a Special Olympics swimmer for 22 years and will compete in the New Zealand Special Olympics National Summer Games in Hamilton this week.

Williams enjoys a range of sports, including football, basketball and golf, but since day one swimming has been his best discipline. He has worked at the Lido Aquatic Centre for 15 years. Williams has Down syndrome, but he doesn’t let his disability stop him from training five to six days a week.

“I love having fun and meeting new people.”

It’s safe to say he is a “machine”, his father Barry Williams says. “Being a part of the Special Olympics has given Jesse a place where he is accepted.”

Williams was nominated for the Special Olympics World Games three times and was accepted this year on his fourth attempt. He will represent New Zealand in Berlin next June.

Carla L’Huillier has been a coach of the Manawatū Special Olympics swimming team for 11 years and trains 40 swimmers each week. She says it is important to teach those who find a mainstream class challenging because they “are just as entitled to good coaching as anybody else”.

“When I joined, I found that they were really good, and it was great to help people achieve their best by finetuning what they could already do.”

L’Huillier says being a Special Olympics coach gives her a sense of purpose and a community she can proudly call her whānau. Seeing the athletes’ passion and positivity makes her feel happy, even after a bad day.

“Once you’re involved, it’s for life,” she says. She can’t imagine her life without the Special Olympics team.

This year, Williams has switched from long to short-distance swimming. “Even though it’s shorter, it’s harder because you have to start at a fast pace, instead of pacing,” L’Huillier says.

“To prepare, he has had to train harder and change his mindset, which is a challenge, but he is working hard,” she says.

After competing in the World Games, Williams’ goal is to help with coaching, which L’Huillier is delighted with given his good technique, dedication, and experience.