Candace Bushie: Peterborough’s Powerhouse!

With nearly a decade of competition under her belt, we’re highlighting Candace Bushie from Peterborough this month! Candace competes in five sports, ranging from floor hockey to swimming, and was a member of the women’s soccer team representing Canada at the World Games in Berlin last year! “It was my first time going out of Canada,” Candace shared. “It opened …

Roland Michener Secondary School: Basketball and Beyond

We are Roland Michener Secondary School, and we are the Rebels! Located in the northern mining town of South Porcupine, we’re part of the city of Timmins, known as “The City with a Heart of Gold.” We’ve been honoured to represent our northern area in four separate school championships: Peterborough, Toronto, Kingston, Chatham, and hopefully many more to come! Our …

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

On this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Special Olympics Ontario acknowledges the enduring impacts of colonization on Indigenous people across Canada and North America. Earlier this year, we began our 2024 Provincial Spring Games with an eagle feather ceremony, expressing our thanks and respect to the Indigenous Peoples of Canada, whose traditional land we share today. We’re grateful to …

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 …