Meet Team PEI 2026 Softball
This August, Team PEI will be represented by 46 athletes and 25 coaches and mission staff at the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Athletes will be competing in 8 sports - Athletics, Basketball, Bocce, Golf, Powerlifting, Soccer, Softball and Swimming. Team PEI 2026 Softball is made up of 14 athletes, 3 Coaches, and 1 Support Staff.
Athletes: Aaron Myers, Audrey Mitchell, Ben Matheson, Billy Acorn, Brandon Younker, Brian McNab, Emily Nelson, Eric Coughlin, Jerred Affleck, Jordan Koughan, Kayla Bingley, Lisa Bernard, Sherry Hiscock, Tommy MacGuigan
Coaches: Judy Gallant, Charlie Koughan, Mackenzie Gallant
Support: Madelyn Jackson
Team PEI 2026 Softball is lead by Head Coach, and long time Special Olympics volunteer, Judy Gallant. Beyond coaching softball, Judy is the type of volunteer who is always eager to say 'yes' to supporting the organization in anyway she can. Judy is a volunteer member of the Enriching Lives Gala committee and a mentor in our Athlete Leadership Academy.
Joining Judy on the coaching staff for Team PEI 2026 Softball are father - daughter duo, Charlie Koughan and MacKenzie Gallant. Both got involved because Charlie's two sons / MacKenzie's two brothers are Special Olympics athletes, including Team PEI 2026 Softball athlete, Jordan Koughan.
Team PEI 2026 Softball's 14 athletes bring a wide range of experience to the field. While some athletes have been involved for decades, like Tommy MacGuigan who is attending his 19th Major Games, others, like Ben Matheson, are attending SOC Games for the first time.
Ben has been involved with Special Olympics for 2 years, and got involved to be part of a team playing sports while building friendships. Through Special Olympics, Ben is working on becoming more independent.
Another Team PEI 2026 Softball athlete attending their first SOC Games is Emily Nelson. Emily joined Special Olympics 4 years ago, and set making Team PEI 2026 as a goal for herself.
Recently coming off of a second place finish at the Special Olympics Nova Scotia Provincial Summer Games, Team PEI 2026 Softball is looking forward to hitting the ball fields in Medicine Hat.
If you would like to support Team PEI 2026 Softball, please consider Drafting an Athlete. The Team PEI Draft an Athlete program allows supporters of the Special Olympics movement to fund a Team PEI athlete’s journey to National Games.