The spirit of Special Olympics Canada was on full display Wednesday during the launch of the Games’ school program at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on the Tsuut’ina Nation, west of Calgary’s city limits.
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More than 1,000 students in grades four to six from Calgary area schools streamed into the President’s Jim Starlight Center gymnasium to hear from Special Olympics athletes, past and aspiring Olympians, sport ambassadors and other participants in the upcoming Games.
Cheryl Bernard, co-chair of the 2024 Games and a former Olympic silver medalist in curling, said the school program is a great way to build momentum for the upcoming Games among Calgary’s youth.
“This is the real purpose of the Games,” she told reporters. “Having these kids here in person, it’s exciting. I think it just shows the value of these Special Olympics, and the value of promoting inclusion in our province and our country.”
Through the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games School Program, presented by RBC, participating schools receive an activity book and cheerleading kit. Classes are encouraged to complete the activity book together in advance, then cheer on the 1,300 athletes who will be coming to Calgary for the Games this winter.
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One of the games’ missions, according to Bernard, will be to raise awareness and education about intellectual disabilities. She said the school program is a valuable way to promote a sense of inclusion and acceptance among young people.
“I think it’s very important for all of us to see that we are all the same and we should all be involved,” she said. “We just have different abilities than others. Being able to have them on stage and show their strength, determination and abilities is the most important thing, which is why I was promoted to co-chair.”
‘You can do anything you set your mind to’
Highlights of Wednesday’s ceremony included a quick video of John (Jackie) Barrett, a Nova Scotia weightlifter who won 13 gold medals and two silver medals during four participations in the Special Olympics World Summer Games. Barrett, nicknamed the Halifax Hercules, was the first Special Olympics athlete to be inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame – an honor he will receive in 2021.
Wednesday’s event also included a speech by Canada’s bobsled team athlete Eden Wilson, who hopes to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Born in Manitoba and raised in Calgary, the 26-year-old athlete shared the story of her bobsled career, which began during… She attended Mount Royal University.
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Wilson, now a member of the national bobsled team, said she relishes the opportunity to help inspire the next generation of athletes.
“Being able to tell kids, ‘You can do anything you put your mind to,’ definitely tugs at their heartstrings, and then they come to you and say, ‘I’m so excited to be able to do this.’” She said a few minutes before her speech.
As a biracial athlete (Wilson is ManyTess and Black), Wilson said she wanted the kids to know they can achieve their dreams no matter what adversity they face — a message she said ties in well with the spirit of Special Olympics.
“As an athlete, it will never be about the medals,” she added. “It’s going to be about the idea that kids can see someone at the table who looks like them, doing great things. So, they think they can do great things, too.”
