Ellen MacNearney

How many years have you been involved with Special Olympics?

I have been a Special Olympics athlete for 17 years.

Why did you first get involved with Special Olympics and how has it changed your life?

I started Special Olympics when my swimming coach said that I should join in about 2009. From there Special Olympics has changed my life through sport and friendship! Lately it has changed my life because of the jobs I have be able to work from Sobeys in the fall to Park jobs in the summer like Greenwich, PEI, and Kejimkujik, NS. I also believe that Special Olympics shaped my life in so many different ways that I do not know where I would be without it!

What is a challenge or barrier that you have overcome?

A barrier that I have overcome is that there is no competition in PEI swimming for me.

What other sports do you participate in?

I also participate in Cross Country Skiing.   

What has participating in Special Olympics taught you?

Special Olympics has taught me to eat healthy, to believe in not only myself but others too! To speak up for other athletes in my community as well as myself.

What are you most looking forward to at the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games?

I am most looking forward to seeing my teammates from across Canada, and possibly watching my own teammates from different sports, along with the dance if there is going to be one.

What is your favourite Special Olympics moment?

I have many Special Olympics moments! One of newest favourite ones was being features in the Empire (Sobeys) campaign this past year. It was even better when Sobeys mangers from Ontario came to watch me compete at the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025 in Turin. My hometown Sobeys made me a poster that everyone signed including the visitors of the store and the staff. I got to keep the poster after I got home from Italy. It was an amazing and thoughtful idea!

What does being a part of Team PEI 2026 mean to you?

Being apart of Team PEI 2026 means a lot to me, specially because I got DQ at one of my races at Provincial Summer Games earlier this year!