Twin brothers Dale and Dave Oddman overcame numerous challenges to compete in short track speed skating at the Special Olympics World Winter Games—the least of which was training exclusively on roller blades!
At 43 years old, Dale and Dave have been participating in Special Olympics for over 30 years, specializing in the summer sport of roller skating. Although they spend most of their days on wheels, the talented skaters, who won bronze in the 100m roller skate event during the 2019 World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi, were determined to take their skills to the ice and represent Special Olympics Jamaica in Turin. Dave represented Special Olympics Jamaica in the World Winter Games Austria 2017, where he won a gold medal, but this will be Dale’s first time officially competing on ice.
While the lack of ice to train on in Jamaica presented a challenge, Dale and Dave knew that transitioning their skills from asphalt to ice was more than possible. After all, the path from roller skating to ice skating was already well carved by their coach, Nigel Davis.
Nigel is known to many as “Mr. Special Olympics” because of his far-reaching success as both an athlete and coach. Nigel joined Special Olympics in the 1980s at age 8 and began his coaching career in the early 2000s. Since then, Nigel has excelled in both arenas, with accolades ranging from earning gold and silver medals for his performance in speed skating at the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games to being named the 2017 Jamaica Special Olympics Coach of the Year.
Yet among all these accomplishments, what Nigel is most proud of is serving as a role model whom athletes can see themselves in. He shares, “I am proud of coaching them because I went to a special school and I was a slow learner. So I’ve come to be someone they can look up to.” As a coach, Nigel also values creating a fun environment for the athletes he trains, where they can relax and let go of any troubles they may be facing. “Once you have difficulty, you put on some music and you skate and everything is gone,” Nigel shares. “You just want to dance.”
The support, guidance, and relaxation that Nigel prioritizes in his coaching approach have been particularly meaningful for the twins this week, as they are competing in Turin exactly one month after their mother passed away. Their mother, Sharon Oddman, was deeply involved in the Special Olympics movement and served as the number one fan of Dale and Dave throughout their skating careers. This week, while they are fulfilling a dream of skating together at the Winter World Games, they are also carrying a heavy heart. Nigel shares that their resilience to compete through this hard time is an example of their bravery—exemplifying the Special Olympics athlete oath to be “Brave in the Attempt.”
Not only is Nigel in Dale and Dave’s corner through this difficult time, but they also have the support of their four other brothers and Jamaica’s Minister of Sport, Olivia Grange. Before the Oddman brothers departed for Turin, the Minister pledged her support to the twins and their brothers during this time of need.
With the support of their coach and Jamaica behind them, Dale and Dave have risen to every challenge presented to them with bravery and brotherhood.
