P.E.I. Special Olympics team brings home medals from N.S. competition

Nine athletes with Special Olympics P.E.I. went to Nova Scotia over the weekend to compete, and returned with some gold and silver medals.

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The players were invited to take part in Special Olympics Nova Scotia's provincial summer games. Six bocce and three golf players made the trip and brought home sevengold and silver medals total.

"It was a lot of fun, we get to meet with new people and athletes," said bocce player Erin Pippy, noting the weather was cold and wet at the event in Wolfville, N.S.

'Phenomenal' results

"It was an awesome weekend, we had a lot of fun," added bocce coach Carole-Ann French.

It was the contingent's first out-of-province competition, so the coach said they didn't have any expectationsbut went to gain experience.

"The results were phenomenal. For us to come back with two golds and two silver out of six [bocce] athletes, it was great," said French, a long-time Special Olympics volunteer coach.

Bocce is similar to lawn bowling, Pippy told Island Morning host Matt Rainnie, explaining that players attempt to hit the lone red ball, or jack, to gain points for their team.

'Very social'

"It's very social," said French. "And that's what we really enjoy the most."

P.E.I.'s Special Olympics bocce team has grown over the past three years from five athletes to 30. Bocce was introduced to bowlers like Pippy to ensure they were active in summer too.

"We have a lot of high fives, a lot of laughs, everybody goes away feeling really good," said French.

The team is planning to qualify for the next Special Olympics national summer games to be held in Antigonish, N.S., in 2018. There are also Special Olympics teams in Summerside and Alberton who will likely look to be part of the P.E.I. contingent, French noted.

Busy summer

Special Olympics P.E.I. is busy planning a summer of activities for athletes across the Island, said program director Matthew McNally.

There will be skills camps for soccer and rhythmic gymnastics, and there will be an Island-wide fun night for bocce players in western P.E.I.

P.E.I. also plans to host an Atlantic Special Olympics softball tournament in late August.

They're looking for new volunteers especially in golf, bocce, soccer, athletics, swimming, curling and 10-bin bowling.

Listen to Island Morning weekdays on CBC Radio from 6 to 8:30 a.m. weekdays.

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