The joy of sports can be transformative physically and mentally.

Mark Keesee, a volunteer with Parks & Recreation’s therapeutic recreation program for the past three years, has seen firsthand the joy that weightlifting can bring children and young adults.

With experience in coaching extending to the 1990s, Keesee said when he moved to Forsyth County, so did his passion for fostering the love of weightlifting. Typically, Keesee said his students are anywhere from 14-18 years old with some returning for coaching after graduating high school.

Before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Keesee said he and his wife would host about 15 students at his house, where he had converted his basement into a gym.

“The cars used to line up down the road,” he said. “My wife and I would go for a walk, and our neighbors would say, ‘Oh, you’re having prayer meeting at your house again?’ And I’d say no, we’ve got some Special Olympic weightlifters working out.”

Keesee said volunteering with the County’s therapeutic recreation program through Parks & Recreation has been “very rewarding,” as it allows him to watch children grow in their confidence and courage.

“Just to see them start at a little weight, maybe 10 pounds, and seeing the gradual increase of weight and their personal confidence is pretty exciting,” he said.

“It’s very rewarding for me,” Keesee said. “It’s fun just to watch them grow and be their coach.”

While Keesee has had “a ton of fun” volunteering with Parks & Recreation, he said he hopes to meet some more volunteer coaches in the future.

“There’s all kinds of things you can do to volunteer with the therapeutic recreation program,” he said, with weight training, basketball, table tennis and softball, to name a few.

Keesee said his volunteering led him to the Special Olympics, and he became a Special Olympics weightlifting coach in the 90s.

Since then, he has been able to see the world: Greece, Abu Dhabi and in June 2023, Germany. He said he has met “so many amazing kids” from different parts of the United States and Georgia to coach.

While Keesee has been able to travel and meet new faces, his students in Forsyth County hold a special place in his heart.

“To see kids that don’t believe in themselves and come in here and say, ‘I can’t do it,’ and then to see them four or five years later saying they’re ready to do it, it’s just so rewarding to me,” Keesee said.

Looking to serve in Forsyth County? Volunteer with Parks & Rec or discover more opportunities near you with Senior Services, Animal Shelter and more!