Special Olympics BC athletes got to experience the thrill of competition, show off their skills, and meet new friends at the Penticton 2016 BC Winter Games. Fifty-eight Special Olympics basketball players and 10 figure skaters competed in the exciting events in Penticton February 25 to 28.

SOBC – Quesnel’s Brock Terlesky got a lot out of playing for the Cariboo-North East Zone 8 team, and he felt great pride in how his team improved throughout the tournament and earned the silver medal.

“It’s actually my first year in basketball, so this was a really great event for me,” Terlesky said.

At BC Games, SOBC athletes joined teammates from their respective regions to represent their home zones. Since many players on Terlesky’s team were not from his Local, he says the event was a great opportunity to mingle with other SOBC athletes.

“Eventually I pulled away from my social anxiety and I got used to the other athletes and got friendly with them,” Terlesky said. 

The Penticton 2016 BC Winter Games marked the second time SOBC basketball players competed at BC Games, and the debut of the Special Olympics figure skating event.

SOBC – Port Alberni athlete Kimberly Giesbrecht competed in figure skating for the Vancouver Island-Central Coast Zone 6 team. She says BC Games present an excellent opportunity for SOBC athletes to show off their abilities.

“I like to compete and it was fun to get that exposure. It was a great experience,” Giesbrecht said.

Figure skating

SOBC figure skaters performed with pride as they debuted their event at the BC Games.

“The biggest thing is just getting the chance to compete and show your program to the world and getting a chance to just do what you love,” SOBC – Victoria skater Emily Walzak said in an interview for BC Games TV, powered by viaSport British Columbia.

Watch the full BC Games TV video to see athletes reflect on their experiences at the BC Games.

In the Special Olympics Women Level 2 event, SOBC – Surrey athlete Jennifer Utendale captured the gold medal, SOBC – Victoria athlete Desiree Grubell earned silver, and SOBC – Coquitlam’s Tracy Laberge claimed bronze.

Walzak won the gold medal in the Special Olympics Women Level 3 event, with Giesbrecht securing silver, and SOBC – Surrey’s Krista Milne bringing home bronze.

“I was really happy because I had a really good skate,” Giesbrecht said.

Watch this CHEK News video on Walzak’s gold medal-winning performance.

 

In the Special Olympics Men Level 2 event, SOBC – Vancouver athlete Eric Pahima won the gold medal and SOBC – Port Alberni’s Matthew MacDonald picked up silver. SOBC – Richmond’s Matthew Lai captured the gold medal in the Special Olympics Men Level 3 event.

Basketball

After two days of intense competition, the Vancouver-Coastal Zone 5 team and the Zone 8 team emerged as the top two squads. In the championship game, the Zone 5 team mounted a thrilling comeback to win the gold medal 25-19 on the final day of the tournament.

“Everyone was playing really hard and focused on winning the game,” said SOBC – North Shore athlete Tyrone Liebenberg, a player on the Zone 5 team. “It was a really proud moment and it was amazing when the final buzzer went and we saw that we won.”

SOBC – North Shore's Jimmy Peterson, Assistant Coach of the Zone 5 team, says he is proud of how the team performed at the event.

“Most rewarding was the athletes’ resilience, and tied into that, most memorable has to be the championship game and the way our athletes competed after a great start by Zone 8. What was awesome was how the players dialed in on their strengths rather than becoming rattled and trying to do too much,” said Peterson.

Terlesky’s Zone 8 team may have lost in the final game, but he says he is proud of how his team played in that match.

“Regardless of losing, I felt really good,” Terlesky said. “I felt we lost a really great game to a good coach.”

In the bronze-medal game, the Fraser River Zone 4 team overcame the Fraser Valley Zone 3 team in an extremely tight 29-28 finish.

 

SOBC – Langley athlete Christian Burton played for the Zone 3 team and wrote about his experience at BC Games:

“From February 25 to 28, five of our B team basketball players went to the BC Games in Penticton. The experience was amazing. Great accommodations, great teamwork, good food, and just an amazing atmosphere. The players who went from SOBC – Langley were Jacob Fettes, Ryerson Shelvey, Chris Lakusta, Christian Burton (me), and from our A team, Kyle Litfin. Our Games went well with us earning fourth place by losing in our final game on Sunday morning with a score of 28-29. :) We all played well and had amazing teamwork. We had five athletes from Abbotsford join us in our adventure. I am proud of all of us on how much our teamwork paid off in the end. The BC Games were amazing, and I would love to do it again.”

In another close game, the Thompson-Okanagan Zone 2 team beat out the Vancouver Island-Central Coast Zone 6 team 30-28 to decide fifth and sixth place. Please click here for all SOBC basketball scores for BC Games.

SOBC – North Shore athlete Nick Kellof, captain of the Zone 5 team, said it was an amazing experience to represent Special Olympics at the BC Games.

“It means the world to me,” Kellof said. “A number of years ago I was considering retiring from SOBC, when our Local Coordinator Kelly Klein called me and asked if I'd be interested in playing basketball. I joined and I haven't looked back since. I look forward to many more years of basketball.”

 

The Penticton 2016 BC Winter Games saw amazing performances, sportsmanship, and spirit in both basketball and figure skating.

Thank you and congratulations to SOBC athletes and coaches, and to all BC Games organizers and volunteers!