It was another successful day in Berlin for Special Olympics Team Canada!
Tuesday saw medals captured in 4 sports with personal bests achieved across the board. Team sports continued to showcase skill and sportsmanship, leaving their mark on competition.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Gold medal secured for Special Olympics Team Canada’s Christian Gerro!
A track star from Nova Scotia, Gerro has both hearing and visual impairments. His ASL support on Special Olympics Team Canada, Erin Harper, is proud to have been by his side to witness his success.
"The standing long jump was new to him, but he was instantly a natural. You can tell what a gifted athlete he is - and he’s definitely been putting in the work," she shares.
Christian will also compete as his team’s anchor for the 4 x 100m relay later this week.
“It’s been great to see so many of his teammates learning to sign with him throughout our training. Whether it’s a ‘Good morning,’ ‘Great job,’ or ‘You’re fast,’ you see his face light up each time. They’ve all shown that they have the skill and the teamwork to back it up.”
COMPETITON HIGHLIGHTs
- Powerlifters made a big first impression in Berlin. Nova Scotia’s Phil Brown and Alberta’s David Nicholson cleaned up, winning four medals each.
- Swimmers made a splash during their first official day of competition. This included Quebec’s Minori Hénault picking up a silver medal.
- Athletics athletes claimed more hardware. Manitobans Alec Baldwin and Regan Hofley led the way with gold medals.
- The men’s basketball team looked unstoppable in a 39-10 victory over Australia. Ontario’s Dashawn Williams put up an astounding 16 points.
- Bowlers knocked down pins in team play. In a highlight, the men finished in fourth place.
- The men’s bocce players gave their all in singles play. B.C.‘s Wayne Gowanlock and Alberta’s Kyle Vogelgesang impressed with their heart and skill.
- On the second day of divisioning, golfers continued to get comfortable with the challenging courses. Quebec’s Francesca Vachon showed great improvement over the previous day.
- Rhythmic gymnastics have gotten very familiar with posing on the podium. They claimed six medals, including a gold in the team event.
- The women’s soccer team showed grit and resilience in a 1-7 loss in divisioning play to Côté d'Ivoire.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Special Olympics Team Canada powerlifter David Nicholson took the floor today with one of the heaviest opening lifts seen at a Special Olympics World Games – 175 kilograms.
Head Coach Jeff Butt said that when submitting lift attempts pre-competition, the weight even had organizers doing a double take.
"They read our submission and said, do you mean kilograms or pounds? Are you sure?"
PHOTO OF THE DAY
CANADIAN ATHLETE LEADERS SHINE
AT GLOBAL FORUM OF INCLUSION
Four Canadian Athlete Leaders attended the Global Athlete Congress hosted this past week in Berlin during the Special Olympics World Games. Sixty-four Athlete Leaders and their mentors from all seven Special Olympics Regions were invited to share ideas and projects they have been working on to lead the way to a more inclusive world.
Special Olympics British Columbia’s Torben Schuffert was among the group, presenting an inclusive art project which includes a self-produced music video about the experience of individuals with an intellectual disability and acceptance within society.
“It was a lot of fun, a lot of people wanted to be a part of making it. I hope the people who listen to it are inspired to be kinder and become a part of Special Olympics too,” he shares.
IN THE NEWS
TSN: Canadian athletes pick up hardware on day three of Special Olympics World Games
Saltwire: P.E.I.'s Jeremy Wall wins bronze medal at Special Olympics World Games
WATCH THE GAMES ON TSN
Cheer on Special Olympics Team Canada from home!
TSN is an official broadcast partner for the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023.
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