How old do you have to be to make a difference in the world? For Special Olympics MA powerlifting coach Harrison Mendrala, he was just 12 years old. Harrison got involved with Special Olympics when he was only 12 years old and is still involved with Special Olympics today. Harrison first heard about Special Olympics through one of his family friends and his best friend’s aunt, who has Down Syndrome.

“She competed through Special Olympics way back in her earlier years,” said Harrison. “I heard about it through that, and thought it was a good opportunity to pursue.”

Once Harrison discovered Special Olympics, he met Lynn McCarthy, who helped him get involved as she is the head coach of the West Springfield Special Olympics team. Why did Harrison stay involved for so long? Because of the sense of community. The feeling of not wanting to leave really made Special Olympics attractive to him and he loves the sense of community and achievement.

“It's important for me to coach Special Olympics because it makes me more well-rounded, makes me more in tune with the athletes. Getting to know them more helps me understand how I can help make athletes more comfortable in uncomfortable situations, where they feel like the pressure is on them and how they can really achieve their goals,” he said.

Harrison used to play football and wrestling in High School, where his grandfather was a coach and trained him and his brother in weightlifting.  “It's good that I can keep what I had with my grandfather, and I can parlay that into powerlifting with the Special Olympics athletes,” said Harrison. “It's definitely a full circle feeling.”

The biggest impact of Special Olympics on his life is the relationships he’s made over the years and how he always remains in contact with his team even when not in season. He loves Special Olympics so much because the teams he is a part of keep growing and it’s a “tight knit village.”

Harrison’s career was even influenced by Special Olympics Massachusetts due to the journey it gave him. “Coaching for Special Olympics gave me a sense of hard work paying off for the well-being of others,” he said.    

Now Harrison is in his tenth year with Special Olympics. He finds it so fulfilling that he wants to gear his life and career around special education and Special Olympics. In his sixth season coaching Powerlifting with Greater Springfield, he has been important to the team’s success… and it all started at age 12.

Anne Deforge is a member of the Special Olympics MA Content Squad. The mission of Special Olympics MA Athlete Leadership is to empower athletes to develop communication skills and utilize their voices to assume meaningful leadership roles. As members of the Content Squad, athlete leaders contribute to Special Olympics MA story-telling through interviews, photos, video creation, and more.