Correna Templar has participated in Special Olympics since 2005 and has been on the Athlete Leadership Council (ALC) since 2021. She is currently participating with the Rapid City Patriots.
A highlight for athletes and coaches who attend USA and World Games is to trade state pins. Since the 1970s, a new pin has been designed every 4 years. This round, PinProsPlus has donated all of our pins! We truly cannot thank them enough for their generosity.
This is what they had to say: “We are thrilled to have helped this design concept come to life. Working with Haley was a smooth process, and seeing the digital concept come to life in the final product is always rewarding. Making pins for events like this is what we enjoy most! We know it will be a popular pin that everyone will want to trade for. It has been our honor to work with Team South Dakota, and we look forward to many more opportunities within the Special Olympics pin trading communities. Good luck in the upcoming events, and we look forward to hearing about all the success and memories made.”
This past April, the task of choosing our design was given to our ALC. They were presented with 8 options, then asked to vote on their favorite. Before the vote could be finalized, Correna spoke up, offering an alternative design. It was a prairie scene featuring Mt. Rushmore and a buffalo. Immediately, there was a great deal of enthusiasm for her offering… ALC members LOVED IT!
Recently, Correna and I shared the following discussion.
Johna: How did you come up with your pin design?
Correna: I wanted it to represent South Dakota, so I did a bunch of research. I found other possibilities, but Mt. Rushmore was the most obvious answer. I really liked the buffalo as well. Buffalo are a sacred animal to Native Americans. As a member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, the buffalo really spoke to me.
Johna: What other design possibilities did you consider?
Correna: Our state bird is the pheasant, but I didn’t think most people would associate that with South Dakota. I also considered featuring Lady Dignity and Crazy Horse, but again, they aren’t as well-known as Mt. Rushmore.
Johna: Why was it important to you to share your design?
Correna: As an athlete leader, it’s important to me to contribute to Special Olympics. Having a voice and demonstrating leadership is what we are taught to do on the Athlete Leadership Council.
Johna: Your pin will end up all over the US. How does that make you feel?
Correna: Proud and excited. Getting acknowledged for my work is awesome!
