If you’ve been following Special Olympics for a while, there’s a good chance you’ve at least heard of Stephen Graham, an athlete from Orillia who competes in five different sports. Stephen’s been a stalwart advocate of Special Olympics over the past two-and-a-half decades, frequently interviewed by media outlets and repeatedly recognized as Athlete of the Year at both the national and provincial level for his dedication to our organization.
“It’s like family,” Stephen said about Special Olympics. “The coaches, the volunteers and the community, they’re like family; they support us so much. My family and friends have really been great. I can’t say enough about them. I couldn’t do it without them.”
In addition to athletics, curling, softball, and swimming, Stephen’s an incredibly talented speed skater, competing and medalling in multiple provincial, national, and even world games for Special Olympics. Most recently, Stephen travelled to Calgary as a speed skater along with athletes from across Canada for the National Winter Games. Reflecting on the experience, Stephen said “I'm a lot older now than I was when I first went to nationals, but I still stood toe to toe with all the other athletes.”
It wasn’t his first time skating on the Olympic Oval, though. Members of the Ontario and Alberta RCMP worked together to send Stephen to Calgary back in 2013 after he shared his dream of one day skating at an Olympic long track. “Oh I was just on cloud nine — I was so proud — I was honoured and it's just a lifetime dream come true,” Stephen said at the time.
Outside of competition, Stephen has been a joyous member of the Law Enforcement Torch Run (LETR), both as a participant and as the first Special Olympics athlete to serve on the LETR Operations Committee. Over the past decade, Stephen has become a familiar face at the Guardians Run (scheduled for October 20th this year) and in 2022, he biked over 2,000 kilometres for the RYC Cycle Challenge.
Whether running, skating, cycling, or carrying the torch at the 2019 World Games in Abu Dhabi, Stephen works hard to grow stronger and be his best. “It's all about finding new ways to grow as an athlete to beat my personal records and stay as healthy as possible.”
Though Stephen values his many medals earned in locations all over the world, he never loses sight of what’s most important. “Even if you don’t win or lose, you always have a happy smile on your face because you know you’re there, and you’re doing the best you can do.”
As he continues training, Stephen’s characteristic humbleness and enthusiasm shines through. “I would encourage everybody to keep fighting for whatever it is they set out to do,” he said. “Never give up because anything is possible.”