A major fixture and beloved coach at the McMaster Sports Fitness School is retiring after being a part of the camps for nearly three decades.

Mark Haggarty is leaving the McMaster Athletics and Recreation Camps programs after being the first camper with special needs at the Sports Fitness School (SFS) nearly 30 years ago.

Haggarty has Down syndrome and has been attending the camp since he was six years old. While at the camp, the mostly non-verbal child received support from SFS-trained counsellors and developed an immense love of sports.

As he returned to the programs year after year, Haggarty opened up and became a very supportive figure in the camp.

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Haggarty joined the Junior Leader program as a volunteer before Steve Green, the SFS director at the time, hired him as a regular camp counselor.

“He just had this ability to connect with people, to connect with kids,” said Green in an interview the university posted on social media.

“He was so passionate, he just wanted to be here and be a part of it and help out wherever he could.”

Cathy Haggarty, his mother, says it’s important for children with special needs to be included in environments where its inclusive for everybody.

She adds that without the program at McMaster, his personality would be different and his confidence would not be the same — a big reason he went on to be a coach. “He doesn’t think he’s any different so he doesn’t expect to do less than anybody else.”

The school named the Most Supportive Coach award after Haggarty last year, honouring coaches that supports their co-workers to the highest level of all areas of camp.

Haggarty says to kids with disabilities to “be yourself, be unstoppable, and smile.”

As for his future, Haggarty has found a new role within McMaster — staffing the service desk at the athletics centre.

For more information on next year’s sports camp at McMaster University, click here.