Visiting Special Olympics British Columbia 10-15-19

So I’ve been in Canada, for 7 days (counting today) we are leaving tomorrow. It was so great to spend time with with family and having Canada Thanksgiving! We did so many fun activities, but there is one more fun activity that is going to happen today. We are going to visit British Columbia Special Olympics! 

I woke up at 8:20am. It’s 9:27am right now, we are driving to SOBC, it will take us 46 mins drive. We are really excited! 

Currently there is 4,800 athletes in SOBC. I got some pamphlets and we got a pin from them! Jesse couldn’t wait to see it! It was a good short visit! Enjoy the pics! 

Here’s some interesting facts: 

•4,800 registered athletes 

•3,900 volunteers 

•55 communities 

•18 sports 

•365 days a year 

Athletes:

By gender: male 60% female 40%

By ages: 60+ 6% 19-59 72% 12-18 13% 7-11 6% 2-6 2% 

athletes by region: Fraser valley 25% Vancouver island 20% Okanagan 14% Vancouver Squamish 12% Frazier river delta 10%

Competition cycle

•1 local

•2 provincial 

•3 national

•4 international 

There summer sports are:

• 10 pin bowling •athletics •basketball •bocce •golf •power lifting •rhythmic gymnastics •soccer •softball •swimming 

There winter sports are: 

•5 pin bowling •alpine skiing •cross country skiing •curling •figure skating •floor hockey •snowshoeing •speed skating 

Additional Programs:

•club fit •health initiatives •youth programs 

Youth Programs:

Family-centred and focus on monitor and sport skill development through fun and positive.

•active start-2 to 6 years •fundamentals- 7 to 11 years •sport start- 12 to 18 years 

Athletes benefit from: 

Access to:

•certified coaches •high quality training & competition •travel •a welcoming & challenging environment 

Opportunity to:

•make new friends •be part of a team •gain confidence •improve their health 

This is the pin we received from them