When Bobbi Williams’ son Reece first joined Special Olympics, she wasn’t sure what to expect. Encouraged by her mother-in-law, Reece competed in his first Spring Games over 15 years ago, and the Williams family quickly fell in love with the program. For Bobbi, what started as cheering from the stands soon became coaching, and eventually, leading. Today, her passion and dedication have earned her the honor of being named the 2025 Special Olympics North Carolina (SONC) Coordinator of the Year.
Bobbi’s early days with SONC were as a volunteer swim coach, stepping in to help when the longtime coach retired.
“I’m not athletic at all,” she laughs. “But there was a need, and I knew I could help. I just kept saying yes wherever I was needed, because I believed so much in what the program was doing for these athletes.”
In 2022, after years of volunteering, Bobbi officially became the local program coordinator for Special Olympics Iredell County. She saw an opportunity to help the program reach its full potential.
“When they asked me to take the role, I jumped in. This is something I’m deeply passionate about, so it never feels like work.”
Under her leadership, Iredell County’s program has flourished. Local athletes are celebrated as hometown celebrities, recognized in grocery stores, cheered on by neighbors, and embraced by a community that truly believes in them.
“I love that people in our county hold our athletes in such high regard,” Bobbi says. “You’ll hear someone say, ‘I know him!’ when they see one of our athletes. It’s like they’re famous, and they should be.”
For Bobbi, the motivation is deeply personal. Like many parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, she once feared Reece might not have the same opportunities or friendships as his peers.
“When Reece was born, I thought, no matter what I do for him, he’s not going to have the same opportunities as other kids,” she recalls. “But through Special Olympics, he’s blown those expectations out of the water. His social life is more active than most people I know. I want that for every athlete.”
Looking ahead, Bobbi has big goals. She hopes to expand Iredell’s reach to serve more of the 2,000 local students in the school system’s Exceptional Children program. She’s eager to launch Healthy Athletes and Young Athletes initiatives, ensuring younger participants are welcomed early.
“If we can connect with them sooner, they won’t miss out on years of opportunity,” she says.
Receiving the 2025 Coordinator of the Year award is well deserved, but Bobbi insists it belongs to her entire community.
“Everything we’ve accomplished is because of our coaches, parents, athletes, and volunteers,” she says. “I’m just a small piece of it. We have something very special in Iredell County, and I’m so proud to be part of it.
