Team PEI 2026 Includes 16 First Time Special Olympics Canada Games Athletes
Team PEI 2026 includes 16 athletes experiencing a Special Olympics Canada Games for the first time. For these athletes, the week at Games with be a life changing experience, with memories that will last a lifetime. For Softball athlete, Ben Matheson, the opportunity to compete as a member of Team PEI 2026 at these Games has been something he and his family have been working towards for several years.
I am having fun! The best part is playing ball!
Ben's first competitive experience with Special Olympics PEI was the Special Olympics New Brunswick Provincial Summer Games 2025. For those Games, Ben's mother, Jean, travelled with Team PEI in a support capacity. Having set a goal of becoming more independent, Ben, supported by his family, coaches and teammates, has worked hard over the last few years. Ben achieved the goals of traveling and staying in a hotel by himself earlier this summer at the Special Olympics Nova Scotia Provincial Summer Games. Now, in Medicine Hat, Ben is thriving, and his family are proudly watching and cheering him on from the sidelines.
Ben started with Special Olympics in 2023. He was excited to become a member of a team . With the support he received from his teammates and coaches it has given Ben the confidence to grow not only as an athlete but to gain independence. Traveling to the Provincials, and now with Team PEI 2026 to the Special Olympics Canada Games 2026 in Medicine Hat, Ben has gained the confidence to travel on his own, when he first joined Special Olympics this is something he didn't do. The friendships he has made and the experiences he has had has truly enriched his life.
Jacob MacNeill is also attending a Special Olympics Canada Games for the first time. A member of Team PEI Basketball, Jacob first got involved with Special Olympics because he wanted to try something different. A new sport for Special Olympics PEI at this level, Team PEI Basketball has 5 athletes attending a Special Olympics Canada Games for the first time.
I have met new people, made new friends and it has allowed me to work on my sportsmanship. Being involved with Special Olympics has allowed me to travel.
For some of Team PEI's first time Special Olympics Canada Games athletes, they are also relatively new to Special Olympics. For others, like Michell O'Hanley, Special Olympics has been a part of their lives for decades. Michelle has been a Special Olympics athlete for over 45 years, and this is her first time as a member of Team PEI!
Being part of Team PEI is a dream come true. I have wanted to go to a Special Olympics Canada Games for a long time. I am proud of myself and proud to represent PEI.
Cheer on Team PEI 2026
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