Down Syndrome Awareness: TMI Client Nikki Wins Gold at Special Olympics Golf!
- Ginger Cohen - TMI Director of Corporate Communications
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Toward Maximum Independence (TMI) is extremely proud to announce that one of our incredible clients, Nikki, recently clinched a gold medal at the Special Olympics Southern California Inland Empire Golf Competition at Fairmount Golf Course! Nikki’s dedication, persistence, and hardworking spirit shone brightly, proving that maximum independence comes in many forms—including conquering the golf course.
Disability & Character
Nikki, who has Down syndrome, is an outgoing and happy person and a true embodiment of the TMI mission. Her personality can be further described as hardworking, focused, friendly, and adventurous. She likes to try new things and is willing to learn along the way. Nikki is friendly and loves hanging out with other clients, enjoying time doing different activities and sports.
TMI Associate Division Manager, Ana Provido, shared this insight into Nikki’s character:
“Nikki is a very persistent young woman who is willing to accept challenges. She works as one of the Office Aides in the TMI Temecula office, as well as volunteers at Inland Valley Hospital and Rancho Springs Hospital. Nikki is very talented!”
Nikki is supported by TMI’s Community Integration Training Program (CITP), which focuses on enabling clients to attain and maintain their maximum ability and integration within the community.
Nikki's engagement goes beyond golf. She loves TMI, especially her TMI Direct Support Professional, Dalia Fuentes, and support team. Her commitment to work and volunteering creates a foundation for her successes. TMI has given her the opportunity to increase her working skills and contribute to the community.
Having the responsibility of working every day requires Nikki to remain active in the community with a sense of belonging. That same sense of worth transitions into her activities like golf, swimming, work, and other social events. This sense of purpose, cultivated through her employment and volunteer work, is the engine that drives her extracurricular achievements.
Coaching to Victory
Nikki’s journey into golf was a family affair. Her dad is an avid golfer, and he was the one who found out about the opportunities to compete in Special Olympics. This led to a wonderful partnership: Nikki and her dad became a unified team and began participating in Special Olympics golf.
TMI's role was to support this passion by reinforcing the skills Nikki needed and providing crucial emotional support from Dalia. Dalia communicating to her that nothing is too hard for her and let her know every day that she is a great athlete and competitor.
TMI's CITP support helps her maintain the scheduling, focus, and drive necessary to manage her work, volunteering, and rigorous practice schedule. The emotional and logistical support from Dalia and team provided the encouragement she needed to train consistently and compete successfully.
Dedication on the Green
Competing with the Special Olympics since she was nine, Nikki’s success is a direct result of her hard work. She is committed to improving her skills. Nikki practices with the other athletes on Monday afternoons and then practices on her own one or two times per week. That extra effort clearly paid off when she took home the gold!
Nikki's gold medal is a profound achievement that showcases the power of family support, personal persistence, and the value of community integration.
Thank you to Special Olympics Southern California for giving our clients an opportunity to shine!
Special Olympics pledge: "Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt". This is a pledge that Nikki honors when competing. Always try to do your best even in the face of barriers.
Congratulations, Nikki, on this amazing accomplishment!
(Thank you to Ana Provido and Dalia Fuentes for contributing to this story.)
Founded in 1981, Toward Maximum Independence (TMI) is a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and veterans with disabilities. TMI strives to help our clients to realize their hopes and dreams by providing Employment Solutions, Community Living Services and Family Support Services. To stay connected with us, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. Together we can share acceptance and awareness, ultimately contributing to further inclusion. Please consider making a donation to assist us with transforming lives for many more years to come. We thank you in advance! Tax ID# 33-0185759