Christine Tetley: Rolling High in Year Twenty-Five!

As a passionate 5-pin bowler, Christine Tetley from Dryden Ontario looks forward to bowling each week and competing in the Regional Tournament in Thunder Bay every April. For her, Special Olympics means spending time with friends, having fun, and striving to be her best. Earlier this year, Christine represented Team Ontario at the Special Olympics National Winter Games. In anticipation …

Jonathon Sibley: Dreams Can Come True!

My name is Jonathon Sibley. I’m 24 years old and an athlete of Special Olympics Ontario, competing with the St. Thomas chapter. Special Olympics means a lot to me because I feel like I belong. I also have the opportunity to compete and succeed in many different sports including competitive swimming, my sport of choice. I’ve made a lot of …

Stephen Graham: Year Twenty-Seven and Still Revvin’!

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 …

Velma Bachtold: How One Year Became 20+

In 1989, I took my first step into the vibrant world of Special Olympics Chatham-Kent as a volunteer. Little did I know that this initial experience would ignite a lifelong journey of passion and dedication. From those early days, I witnessed firsthand the transformative power of sports in the lives of athletes with intellectual disabilities. In 2004 I returned to …

Breanna Williams: Skating Through Success!

At 15 years old, Breanna Williams is the only athlete from Windsor-Essex to have qualified in Figure Skating for the 2024 National Winter Games in Calgary. But Breanna’s story starts more than six years before she competed with athletes from across the country earlier this year. Breanna first started skating at four years old, falling in love with the sport …

Athlete Support from Bâton Rouge

In early June, Bâton Rouge Grillhouse & Bar locations in Ottawa and Oakville hosted fundraising lunches in support of local Special Olympics Ontario (SOO) communities. The fundraising lunches are made possible through meals donated by the local Bâton Rouge Grillhouse & Bar and its suppliers. These meals are provided to attendees free of charge while encouraging customers to donate in support of …

Hardwood Ski & Bike Welcomes Special Olympics for 2024 Season

The Central Simcoe County area of Central Ontario District is pleased to see the return of a program launched in 2023: mountain biking! In partnership with Hardwood Ski & Bike in Oro-Medonte, athletes join together for a weekly program led by an accredited instructor and supported by registered Special Olympics volunteers. Expanded to ten weeks for 2024, the group will …