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Special Olympic Gold Medalist celebrates new venture | On the Bright Side

Dana Shick brought home a gold medal in the World Special Olympics in 2017. Now, she continues to impress with her skills off the ice.

NEW CUMBERLAND, Pa. — Dana Shick has never allowed her intellectual disability to limit her.

"She's been participating in the Special Olympics sports, speed skating, track and field, probably for about 10 years," said her mother, Lynn Shick. 

Dana is a World Special Olympics gold and bronze medalist. Her experience has opened up a world of opportunities for her.

Dana has owned her own business, Alpaca Fiber Designs, in New Cumberland for nearly a decade now.

"I started in high school when I was pretty young," Dana said.

"A teacher at Cumberland Valley, Mrs. Harrison, was thinking outside the box," said Lynn.  "She had the kids volunteer on an Alpaca farm."

Dana immediately bonded with the animals and started volunteering regularly.

"And the wheels started turning," said Lynn.  "How can we turn Dana's passions into a job? She always loved the arts and the animals."

The farm owners inspired her to channel her love of knitting and creating. They helped her turn it into a career, using their Alpacas' wool.

"Dana does all the sewing. We have a needle felting machine and a picker machine," said Lynn. "So there's a whole process that goes into making this, and Dana just loves her business."

Dana showed us how she creates these one-of-a kind pieces in a variety of colors. Some of her most popular products include blankets, coasters and dryer lint balls. 

Dana worked hard to make Alpaca Fiber Designs a success, and she's also helping other individuals with special needs forge their way into the workforce.

"Just to see her over the past 10 years evolve with the Special Olympics, with this business and her independence," said Lynn. "We are extremely proud, and we love her."

And Dana and her family remain grateful to those who have helped along the way.

You can grab one of Dana's wool creations at Fort Hunter in Harrisburg on Sept. 17. You can also order on her Etsy or learn more here.

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