The big winner at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games is the host city.
Sharon Bollenbach, vice-president of sport for Special Olympics Canada, was overwhelmed how St. Albert embraced the seventh annual national winter festival for athletes with an intellectual disability.
“There is such incredible energy here,” Bollenbach said. “Even on the day my colleague and I came [in the fall of 2009] and did the site visit to decide whether St. Albert was going to be the host or not, there was this incredible pride and a real drive to get these Games to St. Albert and two and a half years later I really feel that is still here. People are really proud to host this event and showcase this community.”
St. Albert was awarded the Games on Dec. 1, 2009 after beating out Edmonton and the Leduc-Wetaskiwin-Beaumont-Devon coalition. Alberta was the designated provincial host for the 2012 Games, based on a rotation basis.
“To know all of the efforts that have gone into it and to see everything really come to life is really exciting,” Bollenbach said.
The Games wrap up today for 651 athletes in seven sports. Medals will be awarded in curling at the St. Albert Curling Club, snowshoeing at the St. Albert Rugby Football Club and floor hockey at Servus Credit Union Place. Visit www.stalbert2012.ca for event times and medal presentations.
The closing ceremonies start at 5 p.m. at Performance Arena.
The Games are a qualifying competition for the 2013 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
“It’s really a four-year cycle for an athlete to get to a national Games, said Bollenbach. “Special Olympics is about programs that happen every day in little communities and big cities across the country. They started their training at their home club, probably competed at a regional event and then they’ve gone to their own provincial Games and qualified to come to these nationals.
“There is also the volunteer coach who has been with them along the whole path. It’s pretty phenomenal just to think of the heart and drive and passion that has gone in to making this event happen, from an athlete’s competitive side and from the organizing side.”
Bollenbach said the Games Organizing Committee has been instrumental focusing its attention on the athletes.
“Right from day one they’ve really provided an athletes-centred Games. They’ve made decisions that are best for the athletes and that’s been one of their real strengths,” she said.
An example was switching the cross-country ski venue last week from St. Albert’s Kingswood Park to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre.
“We had cross-country skiers coming and we needed to give those athletes the best competition that we can. Unfortunately, due to conditions beyond our control, the original site wasn’t going to work so they did a lot of looking around for new sites and within a very short time we suddenly had a new venue and that’s pretty amazing,” Bollenbach said.
“As you can imagine, making that decision has this trickle-down effect on all kinds of things, from transportation to volunteers being able to drive the extra hour or 45 minutes out to the venue, but people stepped up to make it happen.”
It’s those dedicated volunteers who made the Games a success.
“In a day and age when everyone is busy and everyone has got full lives, there has been almost 800 people step up and answer the call to give up themselves, give up their time and give up their expertise to make this happen and that’s a pretty magical story,” Bollenbach said. “Every volunteer brings their own personality and their own heart and uniqueness and that’s what creates a richness around a Games experience.”
Joining the Games contingent of athletes are 51 head coaches, 154 assistant coaches, 13 team managers, 12 chef de mission and 53 mission staff for a total of 934 participants from all 10 provinces and two territories.
“It’s a large Games but it would be typical for our winter Games,” said Bollenbach.
She joined the Toronto-based Special Olympics Canada headquarters in 2007 and attended the 2008 winter nationals in Quebec City and 2010 summer nationals in London, Ont. in her current capacity.
“One of the unique things here is we have a ton of parents and supporters who have come to these Games. I think we’re around almost the 750, 760 mark and that is pretty amazing that many have come from various points in the country to be part of the Games.”
