'Exceeded our expectations,' says chair of Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook

Despite some challenging weather, organizers say the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook were a big success.

The games wrapped up Saturday, after a week of competition with athletes from across the country.

• Final day for Special Olympics in Corner Brook

"Our whole Games organizing committee is feeling pretty good about the Games and how they went," said chair Len Moores.

"Inmanyways they've exceeded our expectations rightfrom thevery beginning of opening ceremonies, with all the energy that was created fromthoseopening ceremonies, and that just continued on through out the week."

It was phenomenal it was a special time there for me.- Johnny Byrne

The games faced some weather challenges, with rain cancelling some outdoor events Thursday, but Mooressaid an extra day was added to make up for delays.

It wasthe power of the volunteers thatkept things moving, Moores said, and made sure the athletes had a greatexperience.

"We had planned that we mightlose a day of weather for snow, but not necessarily for rain," said Moores.

"We needed support over at the cross-country ski club and I'm told 60 to70 volunteers came forward to shovel snow back onto the course."

After months of preparation,Mooressaid he wasquite pleased with how everything went.

"It was smoother than we anticipatedand it was interesting to see all of our discussions and our notes on paper, actually start to come alive," he said.

'World class'

Johnny Byrne,originally from Newfoundland and Labrador but nowwith Special Olympics Alberta, said his team raved about the hospitality they experienced in Corner Brook.

Byrnepraised Moores and the other event organizers for a great week of competition.

Inmanyways they've exceeded our expectations rightfrom thevery beginning.- Len Moores

"The pride of hosting in western Newfoundland shone through that's what you want to seebecausethere's all those things that when you come to a place like that, you want people to be proud of thecultureandyouwantpeople to see that," Byrne told CBC's Corner Brook Morning Show.

"It was phenomenal it was a special time there for me. It was just outstanding."

The Games can be both emotional and fun for athletes, Byrne said, adding organizersprovided "amazing venues, great schedules and a positive environment."

Even the raincouldn'tdampen the spirits of the team, he added.

"Sport is always first and ... there was such doubt on that day, it waslike, 'Oh no,it's raining,are we going tolose all that sport?'"said Byrne.

"It's the volunteers just sticking in there, just saying, 'This is not going to turn these Games back,' and it was just amazing how that next day you went out to those venues and it was world class."

Byrne saida platform like the Special Olympics ismuch more than just anational competition, and isa "true highlight of the athletes."

"We're going back home and we're going to be active in the community,so that we can give people with intellectual disabilities that chance."