At Special Olympics Minnesota events you will often see a man with wrists full of colorful bands, quirky sunglasses and a bag full of swag. Whether they call him by his nickname, “Shades” or his real name, Shelby, the 34-year-old’s positive attitude and willingness to help is contagious.

Shelby has been involved with Special Olympics Minnesota for about 25 years and has competed in swimming, bowling, poly hockey, snow shoeing, bocce, track and field, cornhole, and softball. Beyond sports, he has served on the Law Enforcement Torch Run Executive Council and given speeches about Special Olympics as a Global Messenger, sometimes in front of audiences of hundreds of people.

And he does all of it without a voice.

Thanks to the unrelenting determination of his mother, Lisa Edelbrock, and his innate enthusiasm for life, Shelby is the first non-verbal athlete to become a SOMN Global Messenger and pioneer for others like him. With a computer that allows him to program what he wants to say, and Lisa’s assistance in choosing words, Shelby communicates through alternative tools besides his vocal cords. Along with the specialized computer, Shelby uses sign language, body language and his mother’s voice as other means of communicating to the outside world.

It has been a long journey for the mother and son team. Lisa remembers the early years of parenting a child with disabilities: “We had some very tough years when Shelby was growing up and a lot of times, I felt we were stuck,” says Lisa. “But Shelby is reaping the rewards of his own hard work and perseverance. Since those early days I’ve thought of us as door-openers who can help people. It’s kind of our calling to do that.”

Lisa turned to Special Olympics as a possible community for Shelby when he was in elementary school. “We were looking for something because he didn’t have any friends and he wasn’t invited to anything,” recalls Lisa. She had him start with swimming and bowling, and after a while, he landed in the Athlete Leadership Program where he met volunteer and special education teacher, Dave Glover.

“Dave Glover was our shining star,” says Lisa. “He was Shelby’s charge-forward guy and always said, ‘Anything you need, let us know’.” Shelby was the first non-verbal athlete to go through SOMN’s leadership program and it is where Shelby found his confidence.

Dave remembers when Lisa and Shelby first came to the program and the things he learned from the dynamic pair. “I sat with Shelby and Lisa before the training started and we discussed what we would need to do to make it a success,” says Dave. “I noted Shelby’s enthusiasm and Lisa’s determination, and believed we could work closely together on any adaptations necessary. We never focused on Shelby being non-verbal, but rather on his strengths and abilities.”

Shelby, Lisa and Dave have been connected for 25 years through the SOMN community and their efforts have paved the way for many athletes. “Dave Glover is my favorite coach for Athlete Leadership,” says Shelby. “He helped me believe in myself and gave me the confidence to share my voice. I love being a Global Messenger and going out into the world to share how Special Olympics Minnesota changed my life.” Shelby received the 2011 award for Outstanding Athlete Leadership, along with many other accolades for his work as a non-verbal Global Messenger.

Lisa loves sharing how it changed her life, too. The first time she attended a SOMN event, it felt much more inclusive and accepting compared to the world outside. “It was fantastic. I knew there was something special about Shelby and to have other people recognize that reaffirmed that we can do this, and we can keep moving ahead,” says Lisa.

One example of this recognition was at a Special Olympics camp that Shelby attended in his early years as an athlete. After lunch, Shelby started picking up everyone’s trays and helping to clean the lunchroom. At the end of camp, athletes voted for the best volunteer of the week, and Shelby was selected as the winner. “It was affirmation that they see how special he is too,” says Lisa.

Seeing the benefits of Special Olympics Minnesota in her son’s life, Lisa knew she would have to be involved in a role beyond parent. “He almost needs someone with him all the time to facilitate his speech, so I was all in from the start,” says Lisa. She became a coach of every sport Shelby participated in, then eventually a Head of Delegation for around 100 athletes in St. Cloud. Outside of this full-time volunteer role, she also works full-time in the St. Cloud hospital’s billing department. “It can be a heavy load,” says Lisa.

But she is incredibly grateful for the people at SOMN, especially the dedicated volunteers, who help lighten that load. Kristin and Dale Nelson are coaches who inspired Shelby at the 2022 USA Games in Florida. “Kristin and Dale are supportive and fun. They are some of my favorite people besides my mom,” says Shelby. “My favorite memory with them was at the USA Games in 2022. The whole trip was incredible, from the plane ride, Disney World, competing and winning two golds and a bronze medal, hanging out with my teammates. It was very special.”

Lisa appreciated how Kristin and Dale allowed her to be the communication person for Shelby in the pool. They were very accepting of him and his needs, and ready to learn from his non-verbal cues.

Kristin was impressed by Lisa’s relationship with her son from the moment they met. “Lisa takes every opportunity to expose Shelby to all possible learning experiences, and his confidence shows that. He is not fearful and does not allow his communication style to hamper his willingness to try new things and meet new people,” says Kristin. “Lisa’s positivity shines through in all she does, both with Shelby and on her own. We benefited greatly from having them on our team at USA Games and our friendship continues on today.”

While outsiders might give credit to Lisa’s work with Shelby as the key to his success, she points to her son and believes he achieves his own dreams, she just unlocks them through helping him communicate. “He is doing an awesome job of dreaming and reaching all of his goals!” says Lisa. “It’s up to the rest of us to figure out how to make it work and adapt.”

Shelby, while looking at his mom with his bright smile, listens to his words play from his computer. It is clear he knows how tirelessly his mother works to open up his world. “My mom is my favorite,” he says. “She just gets me.”