A Grande Prairie teen will be in Antigonish, Nova Scotia this week to participate in the Special Olympics Canada 2018 Summer Games. Swimmer Sarah Shinn is competing in five events at this year’s games, including the 25-metre breaststroke, 25 and 50-metre backstroke and 25 and 50-metre freestyle.
The games run from July 31st to August 4th and will feature more than 1,000 athletes competing in nine sports: athletics, soccer, swimming, basketball, powerlifting, bocce, rhythmic gymnastics, golf and softball.
This is the second time Antigonish has hosted the event and officials say they expect more than 4,000 athletes, parents, coaches, and spectators to visit the town. These games are the qualifying event for Team Canada selection for the 2019 Special Olympics World Summer Games being held in Abu Dhabi March 14-21, 2019.
In May, the City also sent six bowlers and a coach to the Special Olympics Canada Bowling Championships held in PEI. 10-pin bowler Zach Frost left with two gold medals and one silver. Also competing was the 5-pin team of Matthew Barker-Withers, Kaylee Cramer, Cole Jarvie, Paul Stranaghan, Nicole Wasylchew, and their coach Cathy Withers.