Special Olympics athletes from almost every province and territory packed the Fort William Gardens in Thunder Bay, Ont., for Tuesday night’s opening ceremonies.
The 12 regional teams were met with cheers as they made their way into the arena.
CEO of Special Olympics Canada Sharon Bollenbach said the games bring out a lot of “Canadian pride” in the athletes.
“Wearing their team colours, wearing their team logo, and really feeling that spirit of where they’re from, and who they are, their communities and their families,” Bollenbach said.
“The heart of Special Olympics happens in community programs across the country,” she noted. “On a Tuesday night in the swimming pool, on a Wednesday night at curling, on a Thursday night in the gym for floor hockey.”
A key part of the Opening Ceremony was the lighting of the torch, using the Flame of Hope carried by the Law Enforcement Torch Run. The cauldron was lit by Thunder Bay Special Olympian and inductee into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame Paul Wragg and OPP North West Region Superintendent Dwight Thib.
The participants were also cheered on by Governor General Julie Payette, who officially opened the Games. She met last year with some of the athletes taking part, and had plenty of praise for what they bring to their sports.
“I was so impressed, not only by your performances, by your determination, but by your sheer talent and your passion for your sport. It’s contagious and it’s so impressive,” Payette told the crowd.
Let the Games begin! Thank you Governor General @GGJuliePayette for the inspirational words @socgames2020 #SOCGames2020 #StrONgHearts #TBay pic.twitter.com/Pg9dFvAfin
— Special Olympics ON (@SOOntario) February 26, 2020
Games Chair Barry Streib said all of the preparation from organizers and volunteers has led to this week’s event, bringing over 1,200 athletes, coaches, and staff to Thunder Bay.
He pointed out the energy was hard to ignore once all of the participants arrived in Thunder Bay. “The real thing that we noticed was the excitement level from the athletes who just want to get started, and compete, and get out there and have some fun.”
These games are the qualifying event for athletes to become members of Team Canada attending the Special Olympics World Winter Games.
The events take place at Loch Lomond for alpine skiing, Kamview Nordic Ski Centre for cross-Country Skiing, Galaxy Lanes for bowling, Fort William Curling Club, Thunder Bay Tournament Centre for figure skating, the Lakehead University C.J. Sanders Fieldhouse for field hockey, Delany Arena for speed skating, and Chapples Golf Course for Snowshoeing.
You can find the schedule for the games at this link. All events are free to attend.
