WHEN HE hits the pool, there’s no breaking his concentration as he glides through the water like a fish, which is why Dale McKinnon is the October Athlete of the Month.

There’s no doubt that McKinnon takes to water like its his second nature, competing in backstroke, breaststroke and his favourite: freestyle.

McKinnon, a special needs adult, has been a member of the Terrace Special Olympics since 1993 and this summer he made his first trip to the BC Summer Games, which were held in Abbotsford.

McKinnon’s focus and training in the pool earned him a gold medal in the M5- 50 metre freestyle with a time of 0:50.42 and a bronze medal in the division M3 – 50 metre backstroke with a time of 1:13.74.

“It felt really good,” says McKinnon while reflecting on his first provincial win.

Billie Kryzanowski, who works with McKinnon at the cluster program with Terrace and District Community Services Society (TDCSS) community living, says that she is very proud of McKinnon and his unwavering drive.

“He’s an inspiration to everyone,” says Kryzanowski. “Everyone is amazed by how well he swims and he’s so focused...the lifeguards even comment on how fast he is in the water.”

Kryzanowski adds that it’s quite amazing to watch him in the pool and that many people comment on how fast he is.

“He just goes and goes, he has to have his own lane,” she says.

McKinnon has been swimming for about 27 years, since he was 11-years-old, and says that he can still remember that very first time he set foot in a pool.

“It was fun, I enjoyed it...I was so excited I couldn’t stop swimming I didn’t want to get out,” says McKinnon.

In fact, out of all the activities that he takes part in, swimming is by far his absolute favourite.

Kryzanowski says that he’s like a fish in the water and that nothing breaks his concentration once he gets going.

For McKinnon, he says he enjoys the feeling of being in water, the weightlessness and speed he finds while doing lengths.

Things have now come full circle for McKinnon, as he will soon start assistant coaching, helping athletes to work with their different injuries in the pool.

McKinnon has years of knowledge and experience to share with newcomers to Terrace Special Olympics and is looking forward to lending a helping hand. But McKinnon is also focused on training and is hoping to better his times for freestyle and to work on his breaststroke technique this year.

McKinnon’s advice for other athletes is to never give up, and to keep trying, which is something he follows to a T.

“[You] have to keep trying and keep at it, stick at it...take time to practice,” says McKinnon.

He adds that a fellow athlete on the Special Olympics bowling team wasn’t feeling confident in her play, but he told her to never give up.

“I told her, don’t give up, that’s the best solution, keep trying hard at it.”

She took his advice and eventually her game improved and she began to score many points.

The Terrace Special Olympics program runs every year with athletes ranging from 19-years-old to early 60s, although there’s no minimum age for the program.

Each year they have around 50 registered athletes who participate in a variety of activities including bowling, swimming, curling, basketball, soccer and bocce ball.

The Terrace Standard is always looking for the next Athlete of the Month, so send your nominations in now to newsroom@terracestandard.com.