A handful of North Shore athletes are set to represent British Columbia at the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Antigonish, N.S. next week.
B.C. is set to send 244 Special Olympics Team BC members, including 174 athletes, 54 coaches, and 16 staff members representing 38 communities across the province, to the Summer Games running from July 31 to Aug. 4.
Athletes will compete in athletics, basketball, bocce, golf, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer, softball, and swimming, notes a release from Special Olympics BC.
From the North Shore, George Doykov, Lauren Philley, Tamika Shaw, Kristina Tammark and coach Molly Evanshen will be competing in athletics; Willie Collins will be joining the golf squad as a coach; and Danielle Juilfs will be competing in rhythmic gymnastics.
Juilfs, who lives in North Vancouver, has been practising vigorously for the upcoming games as she gets set to perform four routines using four different apparatuses.
Her goal for the upcoming games is simple: “Just do really well and do my best,” she tells the North Shore News.
In the Summer Games in Nova Scotia, athletes will compete for the opportunity to represent Canada at the Special Olympics World Summer Games being held in Abu Dhabi next year, notes the release.
Visit soteambc2018.ca to follow this year’s competition and learn more about the athletes.
