OLDS — Twenty Special Olympics Olds & District members went all the way up to Grande Prairie for the 2025 Special Olympics AB Summer Games July 11-13 and the team came home with 20 medals.
Following is the medal haul, relayed by Karen Mengersen, who chairs Special Olympics Olds & District.
Derek Hallet and Aaron Johnson won a silver medal in bocce ball.
Golfers Chrissie Finch and Tirone Hansen received silver and bronze respectively.
The swim team dominated.
Wesley Wilks took home six gold medals. Shane Neilson won a gold medal too, as well as two bronze medals. Adriene Briand won three bronze medals.
In 10-pin bowling doubles competition, Nicole Chorny and Emma Moorhouse won gold in women’s doubles. Mike Dougan and Mark Mengersen took home silver.
In singles competition, Chorny won gold, Moorhouse Silver and Mengersen bronze.
“Everybody did fantastic,” Mengersen said during an interview with the Albertan.
Overall, the weather was good, although it was very windy for the golfers and the bocce ball players.
Mengersen said Hallet was chosen captain of the bocce ball team.
“They just did super,” she said. “They lost their first game, but they won every game thereafter.”
Before making the trip to Grande Prairie, the team undertook dryland training.
Athletes, coaches and other volunteers gathered every Thursday night from February to June for dryland training provided by the generous folks at the Community Learn Campus (CLC) Fitness Centre in Olds.
The athletes worked on agility, balance, focus, flexibility, cardio, and strength.
Participants came from a variety of sports, including golf, swimming, floor hockey, bocce ball and downhill skiing.
Special O athletes, their coaches and volunteers are an enthusiastic group who value hard work, discipline, and dedication. They also value friendship, camaraderie and laughter.
Mengersen said that training made a big difference.
“It made a team of all of them, right? Because they're all doing different sports,” she said.
“We took four different sports there, but that bonding, together with the dryland training made them a complete team, I think.”
Mengersen said an example of that team spirit occurred with the golfers.
“My golf coach was not able to make it, so one of my caddies stepped up, and they did a beautiful job. It was awesome,” she said.
Mengersen said that team approach extended all the way to the coaches and volunteers as well.
“I totally appreciate the help I had from my coaches and volunteers,” she said. I can't do this myself. And they were all awesome.”
“It was a fast-moving weekend starting with an eight-hour trip, followed by just enough time to change, eat supper and line up for opening ceremonies,” Mengersen wrote in an email.
“Our Saturday and Sunday mornings started at 5 a.m. so we could dress, eat a good breakfast and begin competing.
“We came home quite tired, but a unified team with wonderful memories and new friendships.”
— With files from Murray Elliott
