CDDHS Special Olympics team ready for competition

Written by Brian Lockhart

They are ready to compete, but the Special Oympics athletic team at Centre Dufferin District high school will have to take a new approach this season.

Due to restrictions concerning COVID-19, the team will be part of a virtual challenge this year.

For some sports like track, competitors will be video taped and the video and their times sent in to the governing body. Track athletes will be given the opportunity to race along with another student at the school who has a comparative time to give them a sense of competition and how they are doing on the track, rather than try to complete a race solo.

“Our students are learning about health and fitness and the long-term benefits of fitness,” explained CDDHS Life Skills teacher Ruth Ann Chisholm-Davin. “Special Olympics is amazing because it gives us a purpose for some of our activities. The schools get together and we've done basketball, bocce ball, and ringette. We have gone to the provincials with our school team. This year, with Covid, they are doing virtual games.”

Students will still get to compete in their sports, they just won't be able to travel to a competition destination.

“We (will) film, start to finish, with the times, so they can qualify for the provincials,” Ms. Chisholm-Davin said. “We don't know how all that is going to work yet. Our kids love this because they can get out and enjoy it. There are a lot of restrictions right now.”

The students have an enthusiastic approach to taking part in the competition and practice hard.

The team is gearing up for bocce ball competition which is coming up soon.

The Special Olympics operates several programs for different age groups including youth and students right up to adult competitors.

The CDDHS students still have a few weeks to practice and get ready to compete in their sports.