Six Vernon athletes will take the first step towards competing in the 2019 Special Olympics B.C. Winter Games in their hometown.
The Telemark Nordic Club in West Kelowna hosts the Special Olympics B.C. regional qualifiers for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing Saturday, Feb. 10.
The competitions are part of SOBC’s 2017-18 season of winter sport regional qualifiers where athletes are seeking to qualify for the 2019 Special Olympics set for Feb. 21-23, 2019, in Greater Vernon.
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The snowshoeing event will feature athletes from multiple SOBC Regions and the cross-country skiing competition will include athletes from all over British Columbia.
Representing Vernon in snowshoeing are Mary Adamson and Justin Chippendale. Competing in cross-country skiing will be Colby Bell, Mathew Bisschop, Dominique Borgeaud and Justin Sigal.
“Both coaches and athletes have been working hard to ready themselves for this important competition,” said Stacey Buchanan with Special Olympics B.C. – Vernon.
SOBC – Kelowna encourages community members to come out to these regional qualifiers and cheer on the exciting action.
Special Olympics B.C. is dedicated to enriching the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities through sport. In 55 communities around the province, year-round training and competitive opportunities are provided in 18 different sports to more than 4,600 athletes of all ages and a wide range of abilities, thanks to the dedicated efforts of over 3,900 volunteers.
For more information, please visit www.specialolympics.bc.ca and find us on Facebook and Instagram @specialolympicsbc and Twitter @sobcsociety.
For more information about the local program, please visit www.specialolympics.bc.ca/local/sobc-vernon.
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