Tim Maracle: Father, Coach, Advocate, and National Golfer

Written By: Callum Denault, Special Olympics Canada Athlete and Staff Member

Said Special Olympics Ontario golfer, Tim Maracle. Tim’s journey with Special Olympics began in 1992, when his special needs class attended a Special Olympics bowling qualifier.

“It was fun,” he recalled, “my first time away. I went to Hamilton for the Special Olympics Ontario 1993 Spring Games, and then I went to Sudbury for summer Athletics.”

Like a lot of athletes who have been playing sports as long as he has, Tim became a leader in his community, who younger athletes often turn to for guidance. With a warm smile, he talked about how sometimes athletes will go to him for advice before asking the coaches, which he described as a privilege. However, it took Tim a long time to become that outgoing.

Having lived in the Tyendiega Mohawk Territory his whole life, Tim said he is a member of the Wolf Clan and participates in Special Olympics Ontario programs held in nearby towns, such as Kingston. In the past, other people with intellectual and developmental disabilities living in his Territory joined Tim in Special Olympics bowling. While he is still in touch with these former athletes, Tim is now the only member of the Tyendiega Territory who participates in Special Olympics sports. He added that many of the people in his local area who have disabilities are not publicly open about it like he is.

Thanks to Tim’s decades of experience as an athlete, his interest in leadership, and willingness to talk about his Indigenous heritage, Tim was invited to Ottawa as part of a group that met with Members of Parliament and their staff. Special Olympics programming is often less accessible to those living in smaller communities or predominantly Indigenous parts of the country—such as reserves or the territory of Nunavut—than it is in more populous provinces. Alongside Special Olympics Canada’s CEO, Gail Hamamoto, Tim met with federal politicians to discuss possible solutions to these inequalities.

In 2019, Tim joined Napanee’s curling team for the winter provincial games, which was their first time going to that level of competition. 

Tim has a 13-year-old daughter who he raises in a joint-custody arrangement with her mother. She stays over at Tim’s house and is currently enrolled in public school. In addition to English, Tim’s daughter is learning to speak Mohawk and French. “I tried to teach her golf,” Tim said, “but [my daughter] has her own things. She’s into horses, and she plays soccer too.” “She wants to go to the Calgary Stampede and ride there,” Tim continued, proudly, “she wants to do barrel racing.”

Training in a golf group, Tim also keeps up his fitness at-home, working out with rubber bands, weights, and an exercise ball. Despite being happy with his performance at the Provincial Games—where he regularly shot birdies—Tim is aiming to golf even further below par during the Special Olympics Canada National Games in Medicine Hat.