When Jillian Pierre walked into a Special Olympics event in Trinidad and Tobago for the first time with her son Jaleel in 2012, she thought she was just taking him swimming. What she didn’t know was that she was entering a community that would reshape her life, her family, and her sense of purpose, and ultimately lead her to volunteer throughout the Caribbean. She arrived as a parent looking for opportunity and support. She stayed because she belonged, found meaning, and found a movement she couldn’t walk away from.
“My son competed in the Special Olympics in 2012 and from the moment I walked in the door, I saw a movement that I wanted to be a part of,” says Jillian. At the time, Jaleel’s school in Trinidad was not affiliated with the Special Olympics and resources were difficult to find. Like many parents of children with… intellectual disabilityJillian felt isolated and didn’t know where to go. “Before the Special Olympics, it was very, very difficult. You always think you’re the only one doing this. You think you’re alone.”
That feeling changed as soon as she arrived. Jillian remembers being greeted by people she didn’t know…coachesparents, volunteers– who simply welcomed her and Jaleel without hesitation. “People would come up to me and say, ‘Good morning. How are you? First time?’ That feeling of being embraced by people who don’t even know you, that stays with you.”
As she sat in the stands, she saw the national director walking around the room greeting everyone with warmth and humility. “Everyone was drawn to her,” Jillian remembers. “I thought, ‘My God, Special Olympics has everything.’ And I said to myself, ‘I want to be a part of this.'” That day, Jillian asked the coaches how she could help. She started volunteering almost immediately and from then on there was no looking back.
“Once you volunteer with Special Olympics, it won’t be your only time,” says Jillian. “You only come once and you don’t stop.”
Volunteering quickly became central to who she was. Jillian didn’t just show up; she listened, observed and responded to the real needs of families. In 2018, she was nominated as a family representative to the board, a role that allowed her to advocate for parents and caregivers in meaningful, practical ways. “I was seen as a family person,” she says. “And that meant the world to me.”
One of the first things she noticed as a volunteer was that athletes were often waiting long hours at games, and they were hungry. Jillian decided to take action. “I said, ‘We’re going to feed 500 athletes at the National Games,’” she recalls, laughing. While parents made sandwiches, sponsors donated food and drinks and volunteers did their part, every athlete who walked into the stadium was given breakfast. “Every athlete has something,” says Jillian. “That was it for me. There was no going back.”
Her volunteer efforts were further deepened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jillian helped organize weekly WhatsApp calls for families, creating a space where parents could talk, share concerns and support each other. “It was much more than a sounding board,” she says. “It kept us alive.” When food insecurity became apparent, she and other volunteers coordinated and personally delivered food parcels to families in need. “We are volunteers, but nothing is too difficult for us,” Jillian explains. “People trust us and that trust matters.”
The impact of volunteerism through Special Olympics was just as powerful within Jillian’s own family. Her relationship with Jaleel and her extended family has grown stronger. “Oh yeah, my son, my whole family,” she says. “This makes us closer.” Through Special Olympics, Jaleel has grown in self-confidence, communication and independence. He swims, runs marathons, kayaks and stands up for himself. “He used to just do what you told him,” Jillian says. “Now he’s asking questions. He’s saying something. That’s because he’s surrounded by athletes and coaches who believe in him.”
Volunteering has also brought Jillian’s extended family into the movement. When Jaleel traveled to regional games, family members came from abroad to support him and volunteer alongside him. “I was able to sit back and feel comfortable,” she says. “That bond we have now is unbreakable.”
Despite the countless hours she spends, Jillian remains clear about one thing: she is a volunteer. There are no set schedules and no paychecks, just responsibility and trust. “You can’t put a time frame on this,” she says. “People call at all hours. People trust you. And once they trust you, you can’t turn your back.”
So why does she keep going? Jillian doesn’t hesitate. “When you see an athlete get his first medal, that look on his face never changes, whether it’s his first medal or his 800e‘ she says. “How do you not move on after that?”
Today, Jillian is a family engagement volunteer in the Caribbean, helping connect families across cultures, languages and islands through a shared belief in inclusivity. “Without a healthy family, you don’t have a healthy athlete,” she says. “Families are the backbone.” She describes Caribbean families as very loyal and deeply committed. “We build bridges of inclusion,” says Jillian. “And we won’t stop building those bridges.”
Looking back, Jillian knows exactly where it all started and who made it possible. “I wouldn’t have participated in the Special Olympics without my son,” she says. “I didn’t realize how big this dream could be.”
What started as a single act of volunteerism became a lifelong calling. For Jillian Pierre, the Special Olympics not only changed everything, but proved that once you show up, once you give, once you belong, you don’t leave.
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