Four Vernon athletes won gold and another added silver at the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Antigonish, NS.
Ashley Phillips, Erin Murphy, Gary Pollen and Katelyn Oliver were members of Team Ogopogos, that won gold in basketball.
Jay Megyesi was a member of the BC Rebels who win silver in soccer.
Special Olympics Team BC 2018 athletes competed with skill, sportsmanship, and pride in the Maritimes. The athletes earned more than 220 medals and achieved many personal bests.
“Team BC athletes did a fantastic job at the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games,” said Leslie Thornley, Team BC 2018 Chef de Mission. “These athletes trained hard to prepare for this event and we are extremely proud of how they represented their province. It was very exciting to see them impress spectators from across Canada with their abilities and sportsmanship.”
RELATED: Vernon to host largest Special Olympics B.C. Winter Games in 2019
The 243 members of Team BC who travelled to Antigonish were made up of 174 athletes with intellectual disabilities, 54 coaches, and 15 mission staff members, representing 38 communities across British Columbia.
Competing at National Games is an empowering and potentially life-changing experience for Special Olympics athletes. Through competition and training, athletes set and achieve goals, build confidence and pride, and create valued friendships.
Athletes qualified for Team BC through their performances at the 2017 Special Olympics BC Summer Games in Kamloops. Special Olympics Canada will select members of Special Olympics Team Canada for the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Abu Dhabi based on their performances in Antigonish.
Vernon will host the largest Special Olympics B.C. Winter Games Feb. 21-23, 2019.
The Games in Vernon will be the largest in Special Olympics B.C. history, thanks to the addition of five-pin bowling, which moves to the winter schedule from its traditional Summer Games slot.
Sports at the Greater Vernon Games will include five-pin bowling, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, floor hockey, snowshoeing and speed skating.
They are the provincial qualifiers for Special Olympics Canada Games.
newstips@vernonmorningstar.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
