Special Olympics BC - Cowichan bowlers Krysta Grzybowski, Alanna Kay and Robbie Hall in Prince Edward Island with coach Jean Scholefield. (Submitted)

Special Olympics BC - Cowichan bowlers Krysta Grzybowski, Alanna Kay and Robbie Hall in Prince Edward Island with coach Jean Scholefield. (Submitted)

Cowichan bowlers help B.C. to success at nationals in P.E.I.

Three Valley athletes contribute to provincial team

Three athletes and one coach from the Cowichan Valley helped Team BC to an excellent showing at the Special Olympics Canada Bowling Championships in Prince Edward Island last month.

Team BC collected 31 medals in five- and tenpin bowling at the championships that ran from May 15-10.

Robbie Hall finished fourth in the individual event, Krista Grzybowski placed sixth, and Alanna Kay was seventh. The three bowlers also placed eighth in the team event with the Cowichan Valley Strikers, a team that was rounded out by Wayne Jones of Castlegar and Melanie McMaster of Oceanside.

Jean Scholefield of Special Olympics BC – Cowichan Valley served as five-pin bowling coach for Team BC.

The bowling contingent of Team BC included 56 athletes with intellectual disabilities, 12 coaches, and three mission staff members, representing 23 communities across British Columbia.

“Team BC bowlers trained hard for the Bowling Championships, and it was inspiring to see their work pay off,” says Leslie Thornley, Team BC 2018 Chef de Mission. “Along with achieving an impressive medal count, they recorded many personal bests, made new friends from across the country, and created wonderful memories.”

Team BC 2018 athletes from nine other sports will represent the province at the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Antigonish, Nova Scotia from July 31-Aug. 4. Athletes at that event will compete in athletics, basketball, bocce, golf, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer, softball, and swimming.

Cowichan Valley Citizen