“When I think of Special Olympics, I think of teamwork and having fun with my friends.” Those are the words of Jess Horvath, an athlete from Brantford. Jess first became involved with Special Olympics eight years ago and has been growing stronger ever since. “My favourite memory is when I deadlifted 405 pounds at a power lifting competition, which is my personal best.”
In addition to power lifting, Jess is a strong snowshoeing competitor. In 2019 alone, Jess earned three gold medals (for the 4×100 metre relay, 1,600 metre, and the 5k) and one silver (800 metre) at the Provincial Winter Games in Sault Ste. Marie.
While Jess has seen success in solo sports, he’s also fond of team sports, saying “I look forward to having fun and meeting new people!” Thanks in part to Jess’ outstanding defensive play, the Brantford Special Olympics ‘C’ slo-pitch team won gold at a tournament in Stratford to wrap up the 2023 softball season. The aptly named Golden Eagles hockey team took home gold medals for their performance at the 2019 Invitational Youth Games and Provincial Floor Hockey Championships in Toronto. This was following being named 2018’s Special Olympics Ontario Team of the Year, finishing that season with 18 wins, one loss, and three ties.
“Thank you so much for your support! It doesn't hurt to show support, and we athletes appreciate it.”