SOBC basketball teams and figure skaters bound for 2018 BC Winter Games

SOBC athletes and coaches for the Kamloops 2018 BC Winter Games

We are excited to announce the Special Olympics BC basketball and figure skating athletes and coaches who will take part in the Kamloops 2018 BC Winter Games being held February 22 to 25.

More than 1,700 participants and another 1,600 volunteers will be in Kamloops as the BC Games celebrate their 40th anniversary.

We’re excited to cheer on the SOBC athletes as they hit the hardwood and the ice competing in Special Olympics events!

Basketball:

Name	Hometown	Zone	Role
Melissa Andrews	Penticton	2	athlete
Anton Evans	Penticton	2	athlete
Troy Schattenkirk	Penticton	2	athlete
Kent Plettl	Kamloops	2	athlete
Aaron Lansdowne-Sorenson	Kamloops	2	athlete
Josh Trudell	Kamloops	2	athlete
Robert Varcoe	Kelowna	2	athlete
Ethan Sun	Kelowna	2	athlete
Aaron Dixon	Kelowna	2	athlete
Braeden Powley	Kelowna	2	athlete
Jordynn Denness	Kamloops	2	Head Coach
Clem Andrews	Penticton	2	Assistant Coach
Patrick Wilson	Kelowna	2	Assistant Coach

Name	Hometown	Zone	Role
Evan Curr	Langley	3	athlete
Julia Wood	Langley	3	athlete
Tyler Page	Langley	3	athlete
Rafi Thiele	Langley	3	athlete
Krista Sanders	Langley	3	athlete
Kailyn Potomak	Langley	3	athlete
Trevin Martel	Langley	3	athlete
Alexander Singh	Langley	3	athlete
Jaykob Low	Langley	3	athlete
Andrea Zonneveld	Langley	3	athlete
Randy Curr	Langley	3	Head Coach
Lorraine Griffith	Langley	3	Assistant Coach
Liz Wood	Langley	3	Adult Supervisor

Name	Hometown	Zone	Role
Kayla Polege	Surrey	4	athlete
Jotham Polege	Surrey	4	athlete
Nitesh Bushnam	Surrey	4	athlete
Bryce Condon	Surrey	4	athlete
Nathan McManamna	Port Moody	4	athlete
Devon Marsland	Coquitlam	4	athlete
Ben Felling	Coquitlam	4	athlete
Reid Demelo	Port Moody	4	athlete
Mandy Manzardo	Coquitlam	4	athlete
Evan MacNamara	Surrey	4	athlete
Terralyn Polege	Surrey	4	Head Coach
David Tellier	Surrey	4	Assistant Coach
Jenessa Howe	Langley	4	Assistant Coach

Name	Hometown	Zone	Role
David Swann	Richmond	5	athlete
Vincent Li	Richmond	5	athlete
Cullen Yee	Richmond	5	athlete
Harjot Deol	Vancouver	5	athlete
Michael Fraser	Vancouver	5	athlete
Quintin Martin	Vancouver	5	athlete
Casey Cochran	Vancouver	5	athlete
DJ Gilbert	North Vancouver	5	athlete
Sangeon Yoo	North Vancouver	5	athlete
Nick Kellof	North Vancouver	5	athlete
Zak Klein	North Vancouver	5	Head Coach
Will Moon	North Vancouver	5	Assistant Coach
Hamid Khatami	North Vancouver	5	Assistant Coach

Name	Hometown	Zone	Role
Jeff Hayes	Delta	5 wildcard	athlete
Brayden Pawer	Richmond	5 wildcard	athlete
Andrew Weale	Richmond	5 wildcard	athlete
Nicky Chow	Richmond	5 wildcard	athlete
Alexander Pang	Vancouver	5 wildcard	athlete
Rahim Adatia	Vancouver	5 wildcard	athlete
Ethan Yeung	Vancouver	5 wildcard	athlete
Stephan Schoeller	North Vancouver	5 wildcard	athlete
Pierce Burns	North Vancouver	5 wildcard	athlete
Daniel Gawenda	North Vancouver	5 wildcard	athlete
Donny Gillanders	Richmond	5 wildcard	Head Coach
Kristien Benko	North Vancouver	5 wildcard	Assistant Coach
Keir Martyn	Vancouver	5 wildcard	Assistant Coach

Name	Hometown	Zone	Role
Clayton Juliette	Prince George	8	athlete
Chris Zorn	Prince George	8	athlete
Samuel Russell	Prince George	8	athlete
Riley Foster	Quesnel	8	athlete
Brock Terlesky	Quesnel	8	athlete
Scott Jonasson	Quesnel	8	athlete
Elizabeth Sherwood	Quesnel	8	athlete
Josh Tilsner	Quesnel	8	athlete
Matthew Hender	Quesnel	8	athlete
Travis Burt	Quesnel	8	athlete
Brian Cullinane	Quesnel	8	Head Coach
Kyle Terlesky	Quesnel	8	Assistant Coach

Figure skating:

Name	Hometown	Zone	Role
Stephanie Divin	Surrey	4	athlete
Jennifer Utendale	White Rock	4	athlete
Kailee Bowman	Victoria	4	Head Coach

Name	Hometown	Zone	Role
Jeff Leung	Vancouver	5	athlete
Eric Pahima	Vancouver	5	athlete
Tin Yee Ho	Vancouver	5	athlete
Matthew Lai	Richmond	5	athlete
Jessica Chapelski Souza	Vancouver	5	Head Coach

Name	Hometown	Zone	Role
Emily Walzak	View Royal	6	athlete
Desiree Grubell	Victoria	6	athlete
Tess van Straaten	Victoria	6	Head Coach

The BC Winter Games provide a competitive multi-sport environment that supports the development of athletes, coaches, and officials as they move on to higher levels of competition.

These BC Games are distinct from Special Olympics BC Games, which are our Provincial Games hosted by SOBC solely for SOBC athletes.

SOBC athletes have been showcasing their skills in the generic BC Games for 16 years, competing in Special Olympics divisions. Prior to 2014, SOBC athletes at BC Games competed in athletics and swimming. Their expansion into BC Winter Games began in 2014 with basketball and continued in 2016 with the addition of figure skating.

These integrated competitive opportunities give SOBC athletes chance to shine in front of their peers from generic sports, says Competition and Youth Coordinator Joanie Hayes.

“The BC Games offer an excellent platform for SOBC athletes and coaches to compete and gain valuable experience on a bigger stage,” says Hayes. “It’s a great place to showcase their skills as they participate alongside the mainstream athletes. The atmosphere at the BC Games is one of inclusion, something we strive for every day with our year-round programs.”

When Special Olympics figure skating made its BC Winter Games debut in 2016, SOBC – Victoria’s Emily Walzak captured a gold medal in the Special Olympics Women Level 3 event.

“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,” Walzak said in an interview.

Be sure to check results at BC Winter Games and check in to our social media for coverage of our athletes.