The Team That Saw Him Through Every Stage of Life
Written By: Callum Denault, Special Olympics Canada Athlete and Staff Member
Joining Special Olympics Ontario when he was 12, 21-year-old Dante Williams said he grew up with the athletes, coaches, and older brother who participated in team sports alongside him. Playing on The Brampton Panthers—who have both a soccer and basketball team—Dante said he is much better at playing basketball but still enjoyed going to the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games Medicine Hat 2026 since “it’s the same guys either way.”
“[The team] saw me through every stage of life,” Dante said, “elementary school, high school, and now outside of school!”
Having played basketball in many places outside Special Olympics—including in high school and in men’s leagues—Dante said Coach Neil from The Brampton Panthers is “the best he’s ever had.”
“He makes things more personal,” Dante said, “he’s one-on-one with everybody.”
You know coaches that have their favourite coaches they go one on one on the side? Neil’s not like that at all; he has a lot of love for everybody. It’s beautiful man, that why I’ve stuck around so far!
Adding that he made lifelong friends on The Panthers, a highlight of Dante’s journey in Special Olympics didn’t even involve his own competition, but rather that of his brother DaShawn. In 2023, DaShawn was chosen for Special Olympics Canada’s male basketball team which competed in Berlin, Germany. Cheered for in-person by Dante, their mother, and their grandparents, DaShawn’s high-scoring performance and leadership of his fellow athletes helped the team win Gold for Canada!
“It was amazing!” Dante said about his trip to the Special Olympics World Summer Games 2023.
“The opening ceremony was a great time, seeing my brother represent his country and get gold for Canada. I was there with my grandparents, my mother, I was there with everybody.”
DaShawn—who is four years older—was adopted when he was three years old, and Dante was adopted when he was two. Dante said that his childhood memories don’t go any further back than that.
“People ask me about my biological family,” he said, “I just have my family.”
Not to be outdone by his older brother, Dante spent most of his team’s games running for the entire match, saying to one of his coaches that it is simply how he learned to play sports as a shooting guard in basketball. Playing as a midfielder for Special Olympics Team Ontario, Dante said he tries to be “the glue holding the defence and offence together”, focusing less on scoring himself and more on being there for any teammates who need his help.
Having gained confidence and social skills during their years in Special Olympics Ontario, both brothers have permanent jobs. Dante works as a sous chef, having developed to the point he regularly cooks entire steak dinners from scratch as part of his job. DaShawn works as a basketball coach for children from grades six to eight and freelances as a coach for some of his students outside of their camp as well.
