Around 900 athletes from across Canada are heading to Antigonish, Nova Scotia for the Special Olympics Summer Games.
They’ll get underway on July 31st and runs until August 4.
Program Director for Special Olympics New Brunswick Jane McKeown says they have sent a large group of athletes and other support,
“We have 56 athletes competing in eight different sports, and we have 24 staff members going. That’s a nice size team for Antigonish.”
Athletes range in age from 14, all the way up to around 60 years old.
McKeown says there are some really proud moments watching these athletes, “You know what it takes to participate and to put yourself out there, and for these athletes it is a little more challenging, so it is pretty special.
There are nine sports at the Summer Games, including rhythmic gymnastics, power lifting, soccer, softball and swimming.
McKeown says Special Olympics athletes are hoping to bring home the goal, but even more importantly, they enjoy the Summer Games because of the friendships they make, “Meeting people from across Canada, they have so many friends that they form a bond with. It is just a positive energy and it is kind of surreal, because they are competing but then they’re hugging each other afterwards. They are all so positive and kind.”
