A Perfect Day for Edmonton’s Bocce Qualifier
With the record number of rainstorms that have been plaguing Alberta this summer, it’s safe to say there were a few anxious athletes heading into last weekend’s Bocce Tournament. But Mother Nature must have been smiling July 9 as roughly 60 athletes descended on Edmonton’s Fulton Place Park for a beautiful day of Bocce.
“We’re really excited that everyone could make it out,” said Patricia Doiron, communications and program assistant with Special Olympics Alberta-Edmonton. “The athletes today have come from Red Deer, Wetaskiwin, Whitecourt, Rocky Mountain House, and Edmonton.”
Saturday’s Bocce Ball tournament was an official qualifier for the 2017 Special Olympics Summer Games, which are scheduled to be held in Medicine Hat from July 7-9. Throughout the day athletes took turns competing on one of six different courts, each vying for their spot at the provincial games. The competition was fierce, but underlying every impressive throw and targeted shot was a warm smile, good-natured handshake, and unwavering support.
At the end of the day, Whitecourt Team 1 managed to secure the top spot, while Red Deer Team 4 and Edmonton Team 4 rounded out the top three.
“We’re just grateful for all the athletes who came out and made this such a successful event,” said Doiron. “We’re really thankful that we had a great group of people come together and make this happen for us.”
One of athletes rolling up his sleeves and tossing shot after shot Saturday was Rodger Gratton, a local Special Olympics athlete who also sits on the Athlete Leadership Committee (ALC). Gratton, who has been a member of Special Olympics for 17 years, said he will be one of the hundreds of athletes who make the journey to Medicine Hat next summer.
To prepare for the provincial games, Gratton said he has been “working very hard and having fun in the process.” But the impact Special Olympics has had on Gratton’s life goes far beyond competition – it has literally made him a better person.
“Before Special Olympics I was not a good person,” he said. “I was bullied when I was in junior high, and I was a different person at the time. I decided to go into a black hole and have a secular personality and it just wasn’t me.”
Special Olympics gave Gratton a way out of that black hole, changing his life for the better and turning him into “the real me.”
“Now I’m able to enjoy myself and have fun.”
To learn more about the 2017 Special Olympics Summer Games in Medicine Hat, click here. You can also view more pictures from Saturday’s Bocce Ball Tournament on our Facebook and Flickr pages.
And be sure to keep up with our athlete’s journey to the provincial games by visiting our community calendar and finding an event near you.