Five bowlers from Airdrie and the surrounding area will be up against some of the best when they compete for gold at the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games at the end of the month.
The games, which will be played from February 27 to March 2 at various venues throughout Calgary, involve nearly 1,250 athletes, coaches and mission support staff, and are expected to draw over 4,000 visitors.
Of the eight events played at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games, the team from Airdrie will compete in five-pin bowling. Coach Sandy Foreman, who's been coaching the bowling team for about 13 years, said that the team has been getting ready for the games for a while.
“We started early this year,” said Foreman. “Our regular program starts in October so we started these guys off in September.”
As far as national games go, the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games are the highest level of competition for five-pin bowlers, since there is no global competition for the variation of the sport that is unique to Canada.
Foreman said that so far, the athletes have enjoyed the practice and preparation they’ve put in. “They’re just a lot of fun to be around,” said Foreman at a recent team practice at Shamrock Lanes in Airdrie.
Brendan, the only member of the team that’s not from Airdrie, (he is from Crossfield), said that he and his teammates expect to win.
“We feel pretty confident,” he said, after throwing one of the practice's many strikes.
“I think for most of us, we’re expecting to win, but who knows? I’m not too worried about it … We’re at the point where we want to win, but if we win or lose it doesn’t matter– it’s all fun and games.”
Luke, Evan, Christian, and Jayden round out the other four members of the bowling team. Each athlete has been bowling for years, and the chemistry amongst them is pretty strong.
For Foreman, being around the athletes is the reason why she continues to come back to coach year after year.
“It’s always the athletes, they’re just a lot of fun to be around,” said Foreman.
The Games bowling competition starts on February 27, with games being played at the Bowling Depot in Calgary. According to the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games website, the games will, “showcase the very best of both the intellectual disability sport community.”
The Games feature eight athletic events that athletes from across Canada will be competing in. Five-pin bowling, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, floor hockey, figure skating, snowshoeing, and speed skating.
Foreman predicts the competition will be pretty stiff when the games start on February 27, but that hasn’t deterred the team’s confidence.
When asked how he thought the team would do, bowler Evan said:
“We’re gonna win regardless [of competition].”
