Special Olympics Athletes Set to Represent Their Provinces at the 2025 Canada Summer Games

July 29, 2025

From August 8 to 25, more than 4,000 athletes, coaches, and managers will gather in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador to represent their Provinces and Territories at the 2025 Canada Summer Games. These Games are more than a competition—they are a national showcase of athletic excellence, the talent of our youth, and connection through sport. They bring together athletes from across the country, forming bonds that transcend the field of play and celebrating the pride of amateur sport in Canada.

Special Olympics Athletes Competing at Canada Games

Among those competing are 64 athletes proudly representing Special Olympics, participating in Athletics and Swimming events as part of their Provincial/Territorial Teams.

Special Olympics provides year-round sport training and competition for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), offering programs for more than 40,000 athletes in over 365 communities across Canada. From grassroots programs that build confidence and community, to high-performance opportunities on the world stage, Special Olympics empowers athletes to strive for their personal best—at every level.

The Canada Games are one of those levels. While they are separate from the Special Olympics Canada Games, Special Olympics athletes have proudly competed in select events at the Canada Games since 1993. Inclusion in this national multi-sport event is part of the Sport Excellence stream of the Special Olympics athlete pathway.

Special Olympics athlete Darby McIntyre leads Team Yukon as flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara.

Special Olympics athlete Katie Xu celebrates with her medal and stuffed mascot at the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara.

Every athlete representing Special Olympics at the 2025 Canada Summer Games has earned their place through performance-based qualification. Their journey began years ago, when they joined a community program close to home. With the support of certified coaches and through many hours of training, these athletes have advanced through regional qualifiers, taken part in training camps, and now compete as members of their Provincial/Territorial teams.

At the Canada Games, Special Olympics athletes compete in open events such as the 100m and 200m races in Athletics. Unlike traditional Special Olympics competitions, which use a process called divisioning to group athletes by similar ability, events at the Canada Games are not organized this way—adding a new level of challenge and experience.

Special Olympics athletes stand shoulder to shoulder with their peers from across the sporting community, representing their Provinces and Territories with pride. Their presence at Canada Games is a powerful reminder of what sport can be: inclusive, transformational, and deeply inspiring.

Meet Canada Games Alumni: Gabriel Dupuy

Gabriel Dupuy made headlines at the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara—and now, the standout sprinter from Team Quebec is ready to make his mark again this August in St. John’s.

Special Olympics athlete Gabriel Dupuy surges into the lead during his 200m heat at the 2022 Canada Summer Games in Niagara.

With two record-breaking personal bests, Gabriel Dupuy celebrates a historic showing at the 2022 Canada Summer Games.

On August 16, 2022, Gabriel lined up for his first race of the Games, competing in the 100m and 200m events. In his very first appearance, he set a new Canada Games Special Olympics record in the 200m with a time of 23.89 seconds. The very next day, he followed that up by breaking the 100m record, clocking in at 11.53 seconds.

But Gabriel wasn’t finished yet.

In the medal rounds, he pushed himself even further—shattering both records again. He ran the 200m in 23.33 seconds and the 100m in 11.30 seconds, winning two gold medals for Team Quebec.

It felt amazing to run my best and bring home gold for Quebec. I trained hard and gave it everything I had.

Gabriel Dupuy, Special Olympics athlete and Canada Games Alumni

This summer, Gabriel will once again represent Quebec at the Canada Games—bringing not only his record-breaking speed, but also his experience, drive, and pride in representing the Special Olympics movement on a national stage.

Special Olympics Athletes Competing at the 2025 Canada Summer Games in St. John’s:

Athletics

Cameron Albert, Special Olympics New Brunswick
Logan Barnes, Special Olympics Nova Scotia
Riley Bell, Special Olympics Ontario
Michael Budden, Special Olympics Newfoundland & Labrador
Gabriel Dupuy, Special Olympics Québec
Sierra Flemming, Special Olympics Newfoundland & Labrador
Bradyn Giraudier, Special Olympics Saskatchewan
Kyle Giraudier, Special Olympics Saskatchewan
Jason Hicks (Para Division), Special Olympics Nova Scotia
Regan Hofley, Special Olympics Manitoba
Ashley Hughes, Special Olympics Ontario
Matthew Jolicoeur, Special Olympics Manitoba
Jaylin Jones, Special Olympics British Columbia
Denzel Kamdem, Special Olympics Québec
Bella MacKenzie, Special Olympics Nova Scotia
Joy MacLachlan, Special Olympics Nova Scotia
Katharina Mader, Special Olympics British Columbia
Rourke Martin, Special Olympics Ontario
Jurgita Mathisen, Special Olympics Manitoba
Janie McGraw, Special Olympics New Brunswick
Olivia Neuman, Special Olympics British Columbia
Sabrina-Yumi Parent, Special Olympics Québec
Rachelle Parent, Special Olympics Québec
Jacob Potts, Special Olympics Ontario
Jacob Rafuse, Special Olympics Nova Scotia
Thomas Rak, Special Olympics British Columbia
Jesse Renouf, Special Olympics Newfoundland & Labrador
Nathan Vien, Special Olympics Manitoba
Keegan Waite, Special Olympics Prince Edward Island
Samantha Walsh, Special Olympics Newfoundland & Labrador

Swimming

Landon Arbeau, Special Olympics Nova Scotia
Owen Arnason, Special Olympics British Columbia
Dylan Balmaceda (Para Division), Special Olympics Nova Scotia
Elisa Beckwith, Special Olympics New Brunswick
Timothy Billington, Special Olympics Ontario
Hailey Borowski, Special Olympics British Columbia
Adele Desaulniers, Special Olympics New Brunswick
Chayce Foster, Special Olympics Saskatchewan
Antonio Fricano, Special Olympics Ontario
Emma Girard, Special Olympics Québec
Angelina Guttman, Special Olympics Ontario
Jade Harvey, Special Olympics Québec
Samuel Hayward, Special Olympics New Brunswick
Ellie Hearn, Special Olympics Nova Scotia
Casey-Jae Kruse, Special Olympics Alberta
Lucas Landry, Special Olympics Québec
Xavier Morin, Special Olympics Québec
Thomas Pelley, Special Olympics Newfoundland & Labrador
Aiya Peters, Special Olympics Nova Scotia
Henry Porter, Special Olympics New Brunswick
Rahimay Priebe, Special Olympics Saskatchewan
Teagen Purvis, Special Olympics Manitoba
Benjamin Purvis, Special Olympics Manitoba
Tyler Robinson, Special Olympics Newfoundland & Labrador
Ramon Siytangco, Special Olympics British Columbia
Emily Skulj, Special Olympics Ontario
Lily Spiteri, Special Olympics Manitoba
Vlady Taran, Special Olympics Manitoba
Maxim Thibault, Special Olympics Nova Scotia
Avery Underhill, Special Olympics Saskatchewan
Alicia Waet, Special Olympics British Columbia
Wesley Wilks, Special Olympics Alberta
Tate Zimmerman, Special Olympics Saskatchewan
Allya de Gruchy, Special Olympics Alberta

For more information about the 2025 Canada Summer Games, visit the official website: https://www.canadagames.ca/future-games/st-johns-2025