For 26 years, Dave Pawlowski — known to generations of athletes, coaches and colleagues simply as "Coach," or, perhaps just as often, the affectionately mangled "Dr. Patuski" — has been a steady, guiding presence at Special Olympics Virginia. On July 31, he retires as Vice President of Sports, Health and Fitness, closing out a career that stretches back even further than his official start date.
A Volunteer First
Dave's Special Olympics story didn't begin with a paycheck. In 1989, while working as an athletic trainer in the Richmond area, he volunteered as medical coordinator at Alpine Championships and Summer Games. He kept showing up for the next decade, volunteering, serving on the Board of Directors and chairing the Board's Program Committee, before joining the staff in June 2000 as Vice President of Program, later renamed Vice President of Sports, Health and Fitness.
Building From the Ground Up
When Dave joined the team, he took on the challenge of building Special Olympics Virginia's Healthy Athletes program, with support from Special Olympics Inc. Under his leadership, what started as basic screenings grew into a full slate of care — on-site hearing, vision, fitness and skin cancer screenings, plus full dental care thanks to a partnership he fostered with the Virginia Dental Association. Today, the Healthy Athletes clinics at Summer Games stand as one of the best examples of Healthy Athletes in the country.
Dave also has been a champion of athlete voice throughout his tenure, growing Virginia's Athlete Leadership and Global Messenger programs, and ensuring athletes have a real seat at the table in shaping the organization's direction. Year over year, he's worked to refine and elevate the state games experience, raising the bar for what athletes and families can expect at every competition.
And his reach extends well beyond Virginia's borders. Dave served as Head of Delegation and ran logistics for multiple USA Games teams, and joined Special Olympics USA's medical teams in 2009, 2011 and 2017. He went on to serve as Director of Medical Services for Special Olympics USA at the 2019, 2023 and 2024 Games, and worked as a sports manager for track and field at the 2007 World Games and swimming at the 2015 World Games.
His contributions to the athletic training profession also have been recognized outside of Special Olympics: Dave is a member of both the Virginia Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame and the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame, received the Mid-Atlantic Athletic Trainers Association Distinguished Athletic Trainers Award in 2014 and the NATA Athletic Trainers Association Service Award in 2005, and chaired the Athletic Training Advisory Board for the Virginia Department of Health Professions.
What He's Proudest Of
Ask Dave what he's proudest of, and he doesn't lead with the medals or the titles. He points to the Healthy Athletes program, and to becoming the first athletic trainer to lead medical teams for World Games delegations, work that changed how organizing committees viewed the role of athletic trainers and health care providers on the world stage. He's equally proud of the consistency: year after year of high-quality state games experiences for Virginia's athletes and their families.
"Dave has spent more than a quarter-century making sure our athletes are cared for, in ways far beyond their sports competitions.” said Special Olympics Virginia President & CEO David Thomason. "He built our Healthy Athletes program into something other programs look to as a model, gave athletes a real voice in shaping this organization, and changed how the world's biggest stages think about athlete health and safety. Virginia is better for his leadership, and so am I."
His "Why"
"I love that everything we do provides an opportunity for Special Olympics athletes and their families to become involved in something that gives them an opportunity to join a family that truly cares and is working every day to make the lives of athletes with intellectual disabilities better," Dave said.
And his favorite memory isn't a single moment, it's a collective one. "I think my favorite memory would be the collective memories of the numbers of athletes that have come back from different Special Olympics experiences forever changed — and their families have also felt that life-changing experience."
Thomason added: “Ask any coach, volunteer or athlete who has crossed paths with him, and they won't start with his titles — they'll tell you about Coach. About Dr. Patuski. About someone who showed up, year after year, and made sure everyone around him felt cared for. We are deeply grateful for his 26 years of service, and even more grateful to call him family."
Looking Ahead
Dave and his wife, Mollie, are settling into a new chapter in Cocoa Beach, Florida, closer to their two children. Retirement plans include the beach, kayaking, cycling and — he hopes — a better golf game. He also expects Special Olympics won't be far from his life for long: he's already thinking about where he might volunteer next, whether with a Special Olympics program or another nonprofit doing community-wide good.
Thank you, Dave, for 26 years — and 37 total, counting your volunteer years — of caring for our athletes. You will always be part of team Special Olympics Virginia.