Special Olympics BC – Fort St. John’s Miranda Laboucane is an enthusiastic athlete who loves to work hard in all aspects of her life.

Laboucane participates in 5-pin bowling, Club Fit, curling, figure skating, golf, rhythmic gymnastics, swimming, and track and field with SOBC – Fort St. John. Laboucane says her busy schedule with Special Olympics helps her maintain an active lifestyle, and she always looks forward to seeing her teammates and coaches at practices.

Laboucane’s favourite sport is swimming and she says her most memorable moment with Special Olympics came when she was competing in the pool at the 2017 SOBC Summer Games in Kamloops.

Laboucane won a gold medal in 100m backstroke at Provincial Games. Laboucane says she was very excited on the podium and she threw her hands up in the air to celebrate.

“It felt great!” Laboucane said.

Miranda’s mother Crystal Laboucane is SOBC – Fort St. John’s Program Coordinator and coaches the Local’s swimming and track and field programs. She said it was great to see Miranda capture backstroke gold as she has had trouble with the stroke in the past. Crystal Laboucane said Miranda had worked hard to prepare for the Games in Kamloops, and her dedication to training and eating healthy was a big factor in her success.

“It was a lot of work, but it was all worthwhile!” Crystal Laboucane said. “And that goes for all the other athletes too, whether they were from my Local or not. I was so impressed with all of them!”

Miranda Laboucane says her favourite thing about SOBC is attending competitions. She says it is fun to win medals and ribbons, and she loves to meet new people from across the province.

“I like to participate in meets and events!” Laboucane says. “It makes me feel good!”

Staying healthy is very important to Laboucane and she works hard to maintain a healthy diet. Laboucane says this helps her succeed in her sports and makes her feel good during her day-to-day life.

Crystal Laboucane said SOBC has helped Miranda develop healthy lifestyle habits, and keeping track of her practices and equipment has led to Miranda developing strong organizational skills. Crystal Laboucane says she is very proud of everything Miranda has accomplished with SOBC.

Crystal Laboucane says Miranda has a warm personality and adds a lot of fun to her sport programs. She says Miranda and all the other SOBC – Fort St. John athletes love to cheer each other on, and the Local has a friendly, inclusive atmosphere.

“I am so impressed with all the athletes!” Crystal Laboucane says. “They are always such a generous, happy bunch, and there is always a lot of happiness!”

Miranda Laboucane also likes to keep busy outside of SOBC. She studies at Northern Lights College, where she takes classes on a variety of subjects, including American Sign Language, novel studies, and science. Laboucane says she likes her classes because they are interesting and she likes to work hard.

Looking to the future, Laboucane says her goals are to qualify for SOBC Winter Games in 5-pin bowling and SOBC Summer Games in swimming. She also wants to continue to be active and eat healthy.