With strong safety protocols in place, Special Olympics BC communities are reopening all our year-round sport, youth, and health programs for athletes with intellectual disabilities of all ages and a wide range of ability levels.
We need you to join our team and change lives, including your own!
Learn about our life-changing volunteer opportunities
Why Special Olympics matters
Building opportunity and community
Special Olympics BC offers year-round sports and youth programs that give athletes with intellectual disabilities the chance to gain sport and life skills, and feel the joy of being part of the team.
-Susan Wang, SOBC – Surrey athlete
Creating health equality
People with intellectual disabilities lack access to quality health care and experience dramatically higher rates of preventable disease, chronic pain, and premature death. Our ultimate goal is to create a world where all people have the same opportunity to be healthy by addressing a range of barriers, which include lack of access, education, and resources.
-Ryan Courtemanche, SOBC – Kelowna athlete
Opening hearts and minds
Special Olympics raises awareness about the abilities of people with intellectual disabilities. Through sports, we showcase the skills and dignity of our athletes. We also bring together communities to see and take part in the transformative power of sports.
-Genny Verge, SOBC – Sunshine Coast athlete
Overcoming COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone, and especially so for people with intellectual disabilities. Too many people with intellectual disabilities are still being left behind and forgotten by society. They knew the pain of loneliness long before COVID-19. For many Special Olympics BC athletes, our year-round sport, youth, and health programs are the primary place – or for too many, the only place – where they get vital social connections and healthy physical activity.
-Ashley Adie, SOBC – Campbell River athlete
Read more from Ashley in The Vancouver Sun
The pandemic has a long-lasting, far-reaching impact that the Special Olympics family will be working to overcome for many years. Today, athletes, volunteers, and supporters are working hard to rebuild all of Special Olympics BC's year-round sport programs and empowering competitions. We're about a third of the way back to our usual capacity to change lives. We need you to join our joyful community today!
Join our team
Get involved as an athlete or volunteer