Special Olympics athletes shone at the 2020 BC Winter Games

Special Olympics BC figure skater at 2020 BC Games
Special Olympics BC figure skaters and speed skaters excelled in the 2020 BC Winter Games.

The 2020 BC Winter Games in Fort St. John were a huge success, where Special Olympics BC figure skaters and speed skaters from all over the province showed their skills in this significant competition!  

SOBC – Surrey’s Deborah Carter was the Head Coach for the Special Olympics speed skaters at the 2020 BC Winter Games. Prior to competition she felt the team was looking very strong, with everyone showing an excellent work ethic and confidence in their abilities. Carter said the athletes “added a weekly 30-minute dryland session… [focusing on] endurance, core strength, and speed” in preparation for the recently added 1000m speed skating event.  

This was the first Special Olympics speed skating event at the BC Games and the athletes did extremely well, coming home with some well-deserved hardware complete with smiles and fantastic memories. The additional training seemed to pay off as the speed skating team posted an impressive 38 personal bests, 10 gold medals, 10 silver medals, and five bronze medals.  

There will always be challenges with athletes adapting to new routines, but they showed incredible focus and determination, and gelled as a team. By the end of the Games, the athlete/coach bond became seamless.  

“It was truly a wonderful experience getting to know the athletes,” Carter said.  

The Special Olympics BC speed skating team at the 2020 BC Winter Games
The Special Olympics BC speed skating team at the 2020 BC Winter Games.

The figure skaters were also primed and ready to perform, with athletes converging from Abbotsford, Fort St. John, Port Alberni, Vancouver, and Victoria to compete and showcase their talents. Figure skating Head Coach Kailee Bowman from SOBC – Victoria said, "One athlete in particular was so beyond excited, she was calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"  

Port Alberni’s figure skater Kari Trott shared the same excitement heading into the Games. “I would message my sister everyday saying how many days were left. I felt prepared after practicing four days a week.”  

Figure skater Alexander Bell from SOBC – Port Alberni managed to harness his nerves for day 1 of competition and push through with confidence. Bell displayed what it means to be a part of Special Olympics, saying his “goal for the Games is to improve. If you don’t improve and just want to win … well you can’t. If you’re bad at something, it’s just an opportunity, not a barrier.”

The Games provided Special Olympics athletes with a chance to compete and showcase their talents in front of their peers on the provincial stage. They also presented an opportunity to spread awareness, develop friendships, and highlight the inspiring spirit of the Special Olympics community.  

Carter acknowledged the warm welcome from event organizers and generic athletes alike, saying they “were giving our athletes high-fives before and after events, on buses, and sitting with our athletes on the dance floor having conversations with them about their competition. This was inclusion at its best.”  

Special Olympics BC figure skaters at 2020 BC Winter Games
Special Olympics BC's impressive figure skaters at the 2020 BC Winter Games.

Trott echoed the social value of these Games.  

“They were amazing. I met a lot of cool new people that I’ll forever have memories with, and I also got to reunite with someone who I met at Canada Games last year in Red Deer,” she said.  

It was an amazing opportunity to open the hearts and minds of people across the province to the incredible abilities of Special Olympics athletes.  

“The added exposure of our athletes, and the fact they contributed significantly to the total medal count, really raised a few eyebrows with both athletes and coaches,” Carter said.  

Please click here to watch a video recap of the BC Games experience for the SOBC speed skaters, compiled by SOBC – Vancouver coach Stanley Chang.

These BC Games are distinct from Special Olympics BC Games, which are our Provincial Games hosted by SOBC solely for SOBC athletes. SOBC athletes have been showcasing their skills in the generic BC Games for 17 years, competing in Special Olympics divisions.

You can find results from the Games here.  

Complete Special Olympics BC roster for the 2020 BC Games:

ZONE NAME ROLE SOBC LOCAL SPORT
Zone 4 Chassetty Berkowski Athlete Coquitlam Speed Skating
Zone 8 Gabby McGillvray Athlete Dawson Creek Speed Skating
Zone 8 Kianna Sherk Athlete Dawson Creek Speed Skating
Zone 4 Bradley Laforce Athlete Coquitlam Speed Skating
Zone 4 Johnathan Berkowski Athlete Coquitlam Speed Skating
Zone 4 Sean Casey Athlete Coquitlam Speed Skating
Zone 8 Quin Rude Athlete Dawson Creek Speed Skating
Zone 8 Michael Ryder Athlete Dawson Creek Speed Skating
Zone 5 Trevor Chang Athlete Vancouver Speed Skating
Zone 6 Mark Hamblett  Athlete Victoria Speed Skating
  Keith McKeeman Coach Dawson Creek Speed Skating
  Stanley Chang Coach Vancouver Speed Skating
  Deborah Carter Head Coach Surrey Speed Skating
  Raistlin Van Spronsen Junior Coach Dawson Creek Speed Skating
Zone 4 Kalya Polege Athlete Surrey Figure Skating
Zone 8 Kaleigh Byford Athlete Fort St John Figure Skating
Zone 4 Hillary Birkett Athlete Surrey Figure Skating
Zone 6 Kari Trott Athlete Port Alberni Figure Skating
Zone 6 Lucas Bell Athlete Port Alberni Figure Skating
Zone 6 Matt MacDonald Athlete Port Alberni Figure Skating
Zone 6 Alexander Bell Athlete Port Alberni Figure Skating
Zone 5 Anthony Lu Athlete Vancouver Figure Skating
Zone 3 Katie Marchbank Athlete Abbotsford Figure Skating
  Soraya Bellou Coach Abbotsford Figure Skating
  Amanda Thomas Coach Fort St John Figure Skating
  Kailee Bowman  Head Coach Victoria Figure Skating