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Special Olympics Ontario athletes shine during virtual games
Aug. 24, 2020
Print | PDFSpecial Olympics Ontario athletes showcased their skills in late July during the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden H-A-W-K-S Basketball Shooting Competition, part of the Special Olympics Ontario Virtual Games.
The Golden H-A-W-K-S Basketball Shooting Competition was broadcast via livestream on the Special Olympics Ontario website from July 21 to 23. In total, 16 athletes took part in the competition, which featured competitors challenging opponents to attempt a variety of basketball shots on the video-conferencing platform Zoom.
“We were so fortunate that many of our main partners for the games, including the Waterloo Regional Police Service and Laurier, were eager to help support the virtual games when we approached them with the concept,” says Kirsten Bobbie, senior manager of program innovation at Special Olympics Ontario.
“Having supporters such as Laurier as a partner and advocate was crucial to the success of this brand-new virtual concept.”
The Special Olympics Ontario Virtual Games featured more than 190 athletes from 58 different communities competing in at-home challenges in sports including powerlifting rhythmic gymnastics, swimming and 10-pin bowling.
“I had so much fun in the activities,” says Kimana Mar, an athlete and participant in the Special Olympics Ontario Virtual Games. “I feel like this was a similar format to all of the Special Olympics Games I have been to the past 12 years.”
Laurier, a special Olympics Ontario Games Partner, had been preparing to host events and athletes at the university’s Waterloo campus in May as part of the Special Olympics Ontario 2020 Spring Games, but the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The university looks forward to hosting Special Olympics Ontario athletes on campus during a future event when it is safe to do so.
“The activities in virtual games offered a great opportunity for Laurier and Special Olympic Ontario to stay connected with the community despite pandemic,” says Dawn Simons, coordinator of marketing and events with Laurier Athletics. “Laurier is a committed games partner and we look forward to the day we can safely host everyone on campus.”