BringJoy

Conch Pride with Jennifer Averette

• Joy Nulisch • Season 6 • Episode 72

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We celebrate Special Olympics champion and Hall of Famer Jennifer Averett, from Seattle gold to Key West homecomings, and explore how volunteers, coaches, and art fuel her life of Conch Pride. Stories span three decades of competition, deep family roots, and a call to support  Monroe County athletes.

• Thirty-plus years competing across stand-up paddle, swimming, soccer, cycling
• Seattle national games gold and the airport homecoming
• Hall of Fame induction and what it represents
• Coaches and volunteers who shape success
• Health Messenger role and athlete wellness
• State games results and upcoming selections for 2026
• Fundraiser at Fausto’s for Team Florida travel
• Monroe County athlete numbers and unified partners
• Professional art at Guild Hall Gallery on Duval
• Family lineage tied to Key West history and leaders
• Personal definition of Conch Pride and community

If you enjoyed this episode, drop a review, share, and subscribe because there's a lot of good stuff on tech. You can also follow Bring Joy on YouTube and Instagram, or check my website at joynulisch.com. Now go bring joy to the people in your world.


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SPEAKER_01:

Thanks for tuning in to the Conks, a Bring Joy Podcast. I'm your host, Joy Newlish. I'm a first generation conk raised by a fourth. What does that add up to? A whole lot of conch pride. And that's what this show is all about celebrating the incredible people of Key West and their stories from every corner of our conk community. So sit back and relax, cuz. Let's do this thing. This episode is sponsored by Ramonans, promoting conk pride since 1971. How we doing, conk fans? I've got a good one for you today. We're talking with Jennifer Averett, a true conk, Special Olympic champion, and Hall of Famer. Welcome to the show, cuz. Hey, thank you, Halloween, goe. So let's get right into it. How long have you been participating in Special Olympics? I've been involved in faster number for 30 plus years. That's awesome. That's almost your whole life. Pretty much. And what are some of the sports that you've competed in and how have you done in those sports? Um, I competed in Santa Palo.

SPEAKER_00:

I one of the first athletes to start Santa Palo and was able to see in it to be the first athlete to go to an athlete game in 2028 in Santa Palo. And I also um compete in summon. Started going twenty-side meters and now up to 100 and 200 batteries. That's awesome. That's fantastic. I started ball in 2017 and been to other sex games since then. And I just got back into stocking in the past year.

SPEAKER_01:

That's very cool. And you mentioned the national games in Seattle. Is that what that you've got two gold medals on? Tell me about those gold medals. One of those is from that Seattle Games, correct? This one right here.

SPEAKER_00:

And let me tell you that the order is so cold. It's like us conks not used to that cold weather, it's not cold water.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, like conks are not used to the cold weather in Seattle. That's completely on the other side of the country right there. Oh yeah. But you represented Key West well. I don't know if you remember this, but when you came back, when you flew back into Key West, there was a whole fan club at Conks at the airport. Remember that? I remember walking in there and all that was a special day. I remember it because I was there and there were so many people I could barely reach you to give you a hug. So I just reached over and gave you a high-fi. But that was a that was a very big deal for you and Miss Ruth uh to come back and you represented Key West so well. Since we're talking about the medals, go ahead and tell me what is the other medal you have on. The other is my whole same medal.

SPEAKER_00:

I just first asked a mando kind of to be inducted into the button up before the whole same last year.

SPEAKER_01:

That's next level, cuz you're the Olympic champion and hall of famer. Talk about Kong Pride. That's it. That's why I had to have you on the show. Matter of fact, next time I see you, I need to get that autograph. All right, have your people talk to my people, right? Uh good stuff. So so let's take a moment um and talk about some of the coaches that you've had along the way. You mentioned stand-up paddle, you were the first um Olympian to compete in that sport. You mentioned swimming, cycling. So tell me some about some of your coaches and who's helped you to compete in those sports.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, Tela Pato is running the top Tela Pato, some lazy guard had again. Um Randy I settled, so it's a simple. And getting Simmons is um Robert Bacon to Simmons. And getting soccer and these uh buses.

SPEAKER_01:

Those that's great to have coaches that volunteer their time, right? Oh yeah, and it always means more coaches and more help.

SPEAKER_00:

So it's good.

SPEAKER_01:

That is you you heard it here first. They need more coaches and volunteers for Special Olympics Monroe. What a rewarding opportunity it would be to participate at that level. You mentioned Randy Acevedo, so I'm gonna go ahead and jump on that for a second because Randy was my good friend. He was my boss for many years at Monroe County Schools. But I don't know if you know this, but him and his wife Amber also helped sponsor my podcast. They do a lot for the community to support other conks. Much love to Randy, right? And Amber And and Amber. We talked about you as an Olympic athlete. You mentioned the Hall of Fame. What is your current role with Special Olympics?

SPEAKER_00:

Uh my current role right now is being a help matter so passing up water. That's to help I mono and water to help them get the need to compete and the need that to help them is like I can age it doesn't mean new to any half life they get to that program.

SPEAKER_01:

What do you enjoy most about participating with Special Olympics?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, most I love being around family and other athletes and it's not always about running, it's always about meeting new people and hoping a new athletes some or over the who I that I don't know about and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01:

It's pretty cool. Exactly, and like you said, you traveled to Seattle. Where are some of the other places that you've been?

SPEAKER_00:

I've been to Seattle, I've been I've been to New York and a Pado and uh coffee right here up in Ghana, Florida, all over Florida, right?

SPEAKER_01:

They know you well in Orlando. Oh yeah. My little cousin, I don't know if I ever told you this, but my little cousin Addie, she's a special Olympian. She she lives in Jacksonville, and she just recently had a softball competition and did really well. So maybe maybe one of these days you'll you'll meet her and you'll have to see you'll have to see. I shouldn't know who you're talking about. One day you'll have to meet on the on the court and send me a selfie. So what are you mentioned the state games? What are some of the recent competitions that you've been at? I heard there was a flag football competition, and what do you have coming up in the near future that you want to talk about?

SPEAKER_00:

Um, so we just got back from state games, so we came and bought the hey, we're all coming up on Paddy. First, second, third, both again, yeah. And what else what else is coming what do you have coming up? Well, on Saturday, the 22nd, we had elimination. One of my good friends and the others has he been chosen to go to Nighting Game in Minnesota in 2026. So Pardo. So Bossy and she is going to be at Fausto Lemonades and on right street from 10 to 2 to get to her Barsi, Minnesota Team Florida.

SPEAKER_01:

That's awesome. So uh Fausto Saturday, November 22nd, you could get the best lemonade you ever drank and donate to um get the Key West athlete to the game. To the games, and you say that's in Minnesota. So you better take a jacket. Speaking, speaking of the other athletes, I see you around town, I see you at the gym with with some of your friends and other conk athletes. How many special Olympians do we have here in Monroe County?

SPEAKER_00:

We have in Monroe County, we have 800 athletes in the whole keys right now. That's yes, and let's out um guess a bit. Let's out guessabilities.

SPEAKER_01:

So you say there's 800 total Olympic athletes in the whole. Yep, from Key West to Key Largo. That's fantastic. I had no idea, and you mentioned the partners. I think you said the partners that helped me possible.

SPEAKER_00:

The 200 partners and some key out of tequila. Mostly that's mostly all too based, all the partners.

SPEAKER_01:

Like I said, I had no idea there were that many athletes. So I'm glad that's why that's why we're having this interview. Oh, yeah, and I now we have 14 foot up and down the key shutdown. Well, listen, um, I want to say congratulations on all your success as a special Olympic athlete and leader for someone from Key West to win at the highest level and also to be recognized as a Hall of Famer. That's that's a big deal. I'm real proud of you and I'm happy to know you. And I also happen to know that not only are you a special Olympic athlete and leader, but you're an artist as well. How long have you been painting?

SPEAKER_00:

I've been painting since I just engaged to since going back to Reno Reynolds, so like I said, I mean, I don't know how old I is. I mean, there's no more rentals anymore.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so yeah, like you said, going back to rental school, and you're right, there is no more rental school. No. Yeah, you you show you showing your age now for sure. Who were some of the um local artists that inspired your work?

SPEAKER_00:

No, one is none of them is my um cousin Mario Sanchez, who is not an unknown artist in Kizas, and the other than my mom, Amelita Afro, that almost everybody knows her, too.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, for sure. That's I don't know if you could see it behind me, but that's a Mario Sanchez print back there. And he is a very well-known artist. Uh they have an exhibit now at the Customs House Museum. I think they have like over 200 pieces. Yeah. Have you ever been over there to see it? Oh yeah. And you mentioned your mom, like you say, everybody knows your mom. She's in artists. Where where if somebody wanted to see your art, where where could they find you?

SPEAKER_00:

They can sign it at um Guild Hall Gallery on Gibraltar at 14 614 Duval.

SPEAKER_01:

614 Duval, the Guild Hall Gallery. I'm the nursing by I have to. So you're a professional, professional artist in your spare time. I'm gonna go have to go check it out. I've got a few empty spots on my wall. I need to give me a Jennifer Avery hanging there. So you mentioned your family already. I know you have deep roots on this island. Tell me about your family and and uh some some of the connections that you have that maybe we don't know about.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I didn't know this until I thought I told my aunt. But my god, Johnson, that's the first person to be Latinized in Mandokani and Kizas since the 200s.

SPEAKER_01:

That that's incredible. So you so you got you got roots here since the beginning. Since the beginning.

SPEAKER_00:

On both sides of the family. Again on my mom's side, everybody knows that these people is my little Peter Esinos, who owned that owned that Pinano Peter Esinose and Tanker just be on your bosses.

SPEAKER_01:

And I I heard I wore his hand to say George Myra. I don't know if you see this autograph right now. Oh, I see it. I heard that you might have a connection to George Myra also. Up here, my uncle. And you know, you know, one of my most favorite people in the world is the fire chief. You know the fire chief? Um, yeah, yeah. My fella.

SPEAKER_00:

And he she's a pot, she's a pot a lot, and I give a pinnacle.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that is really cool. I was going to ask you, who in your family do you think I should have on as a guest on the podcast? Who will be a good guest? I am. That's what you got. Come on. Yeah, you you mentioned Michael, right? I have Michael on uh uh last month, a couple of guests ago. We were talking about the kickball league that he's starting, so yeah, we gotta add Alan to the mix. Yeah. That sounds good. So, Jennifer, I'm gonna go ahead and we'll wrap up the episode, but there's two big questions that I gotta ask you. This is what everybody wants to know. What does conch prime mean to you?

SPEAKER_00:

Com pal mean to me nothing on the island. I am a conch, I'm a true conk. I've been I've been my compad where I go. I ought to be in the conqueror to be to the competition that you go to. I cannot throw a baseball without hitting somebody that I know the I know the two on this island.

SPEAKER_01:

So I love that. She said she can't throw a baseball without hitting somebody she knows on the island. That's that's con crying. We don't leave home without it. We're taught that in Kiwis High School. Before we graduate, we gotta make a commitment that we don't leave home without it. And you not only don't leave home without it, but you take that con Republic flag wherever you go, right? Oh yeah, every yeah. That's good stuff. That's really good. And the last question: what brings you joy? That's beautiful. You bring me joy, Jennifer. Every time I see you, you got the best smile. You're always friendly, you always got a story to tell. I love seeing you. I'm proud of what you and all your friends are doing for Special Olympics to represent Monroe County, and I appreciate you being on the show. Go Kong. Go Kong. This episode is sponsored by Ramonis, promoting Cork Pride since 1971. I'm Joy Newlich, and I appreciate you tuning into my podcast. My purpose is to bring joy into my life and the lives of others. If you enjoyed this episode, drop a review, share, and subscribe because there's a lot of good stuff on tech. You can also follow Bring Joy on YouTube and Instagram, or check my website at joynoolish.com. Now go bring joy to the people in your world. Until next time, watch out.

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Joy Nulisch

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