Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games. Largest-ever Special Olympics BC provincial team set for first
home-province National Games since 1990.
Submitted. With the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games set to return to British Columbia this year for
the first time since 1990, the 360 members of Special Olympics BC’s biggest provincial team ever
are ready to shine on this significant national stage.
Team BC 2014 is comprised of 276 athletes with intellectual disabilities, 70 coaches, and 14
mission staff from 39 communities around the province. At the Special Olympics Canada 2014
Summer Games in Vancouver July 8 to 12, the SOBC athletes will go for gold in 11 sports: 10-pin
bowling, 5-pin bowling, aquatics, athletics, basketball, bocce, golf, powerlifting, rhythmic
gymnastics, soccer, and softball.
“The Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games are the first National Games to be held in B.C.
since 1990, and our athletes are going to be ready to dominate on home soil,” said Shawn Fevens,
Team BC Chef de Mission. “Team BC has a dedicated and talented group of athletes and coaches
who have been working hard for three years to reach this level. I know their abilities and their
sportsmanship will inspire everyone watching and will show what is so amazing about Special
Olympics sport.”
ABBOTSFORD
Athletes
Austin Johnston -10-pin bowling
Brad Mayo – 10-pin bowling
Karen Assels – 5-pin bowling
Chris Hamilton – Athletics
Mike Palitti – Athletics
Sabrina McLean – Basketball
Todd Moore – Powerlifting
Ashley Rosenberge – Rhythmic gymnastics
Katie Hawksby – Rhythmic gymnastics
Robyn Styles – Rhythmic gymnastics
Since qualifying for their spots on Team BC 2014 through their performances at the 2013 Special
Olympics BC Summer Games in Langley, the provincial team athletes and coaches have been hard
at work with the team training program to help them be at their best at the National Games. The
athletes have been putting in a lot of time and effort in their home communities both on and off
their fields of play, logging hours of training in their sports as well as taking on dry-land training,
improving their physical fitness, and stepping up their nutrition.
Team BC athletes and coaches have benefitted from significant support from the world-class
Allinger Consulting International team – authors of the Own the Podium program – as well as
coaches and trainers from the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, provincial
sport organizations, mental performance consultants, and other expert organizations. For the first
time, Team BC is also using elite sport science, technology, and tracking tools to help our athletes
and coaches be at their very best when it comes time to compete at the 2014 Games venues at the
UBC Vancouver campus, the University Golf Club, and The Zone Bowling Centre in Richmond.
Special Olympics competitions operate on a four-year cycle for both summer and winter sports.
Athletes compete in regional events and then Provincial Games to advance to National Games,
and Special Olympics Canada Games are the qualifiers for Special Olympics World Games. In
Vancouver, athletes will be competing for the opportunity to advance to the 2015 Special
Olympics World Summer Games in Los Angeles. Through these competitions and training, Special
Olympics athletes empower themselves and inspire everyone around them as they set and achieve
goals, build pride and confidence with their achievements, and forge valued friendships.
The Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games will see 1,700 Special Olympics athletes,
coaches, and mission staff members from across the country come together to compete in
Vancouver, creating an outstanding display of sport and sportsmanship in 11 sports, including
three making their debut at the National Games level: basketball, bocce, and golf.
Team BC roster, stories, photos, and resources: www.soteambc2014.ca
Team BC 2014 quick facts
276 athletes
70 coaches
14 mission staff
5 external mission staff
39 B.C. communities represented
12 age of youngest Team BC athlete
72 age of oldest Team BC athlete
24 age of youngest Team BC coach
77 age of oldest Team BC coach
About Special Olympics BC
Special Olympics BC is dedicated to providing individuals with intellectual disabilities
opportunities to enrich their lives and celebrate personal achievement through positive sport
experiences. In 57 communities around the province, we provide year-round training and
competitive opportunities in 18 different sports to more than 4,300 athletes of all ages and
abilities, thanks to the dedicated efforts of over 3,300 volunteers. For more information, please
visit www.specialolympics.bc.ca. Find us on Facebook and Twitter:
www.facebook.com/specialolympicsbc | @sobcsociety.
BC Special Olympics opening ceremonies.
Ashley Bowling (1st from left, very back row, wearing glasses), Katie Hawksby (2nd from right standing) and coach Sharlene Hawksby (3rd from right standing).