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APRIL FOOLS RUN

4/1/2018

 
The 2018 April Fools’ Run had special meaning for Special Olympics BC on the Sunshine Coast. On Sunday, April 8, four SOBC track and field athletes, Amber Maher, Genny Verge, Bruce Stuart, and Micheal Oswald, put all their hard work together after weeks of training with coach Tania Finnigan in anticipation of the race. Each SOBC athlete ran one leg of the total 21.1-kilometre relay.

The race began on Park Road in Gibsons and finished at Mission Point Park in Davis Bay. It’s thanks to athlete Stuart that coach Finnigan thought to include the other three. Stuart, like Finnigan, is an avid runner who has competed for many years. Stuart wanted to run in this year’s April Fools' Run so Finnigan figured it would be a great chance for the other track and fielders to gain some experience in long distance running. Training began in March with the coach and four athletes meeting weekly to run 5 km as a team. It gave all of them the chance to bond as a unit, who dubbed themselves the Coast Cannons, and to see first-hand the effects of distance running.

This activity blends perfectly with SOBC Sports Consultant Jacques Thibault’s view that athletes who train on their own time in their preferred sports gain better knowledge, understanding, and ultimately inability. Maher is a spitfire on the track. A sprinter by nature, she has gone to BC Games as well as the 2017 Provincial Games in Kamloops. She has done very well and continues to exceed all expectations. Verge is also a BC Games and Provincial Games attendee who has the fortune to be on her way to the 2018 National Games in 
Antigonish, Nova Scotia this summer. She is a swimmer who has launched into running and track as a form of cross-training. Oswald is a swimmer and runner who has seen provincial competition twice, once in 2013 and again in 2018. He, like Maher, is a sprinter but through his experiences running with Stuart, is slowly learning the art of endurance running. Finnigan has been coaching track and field for many years and also instructs Club Fit with many SOSC athletes each Monday morning from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Gibson’s Rec Centre.

​The success of this first venture has the Coast Cannons considering that their next challenge might be to run the 10 km Four Lakes Run later this summer. Go Special O!

Michael Oswald

April COLUMN - SPRING INTO SPECIAL O

4/1/2018

 
​The fall/winter season went out with a splash as the Orca and Chinook swimmers fun meet showcased incredible talent.
 
A final game for the Gibsons Basketball team saw them matched with the Gibsons Firefighters and set up and primed them for a rematch next season.
 
On March 13th at Chatelech Secondary, our local RCMP also joined in for the final floor hockey match of the season with The Sunshine Coast Bears.
 
Head coach Mike Gojevic reported that it was a great game, with the RCMP members being very active participants. A vocal crowd cheered on the SOBC team, who showed great improvement over the past year. “Thanks to Cst. Sheperd and the entire Sunshine Coast detachment”
 
These events illustrate the aspect of inclusion that is Special Olympics.
 
The final curling game in Gibsons meant that it was Funny Hat Day with light-up Shamrock Sunglasses provided by Sandi Cavalier to acknowledge St. Patrick’s Day! That means the spring/summer season is with us once again.
 
By the time you read this, golf, bocce, track & field, softball & soccer will be underway. This season is especially important because the National Games in Nova Scotia are near. Training continues for Amanda Boghean and Chris Walker with the Vancouver Go Go’s. Swimmers Genny Verge and Stephanie Rogers will travel to Kelowna this month for a pre-nationals meet.
 
Jacques Thibault, a sports consultant for Special Olympics, is travelling around the province to consult with coaches and trainers to discover how SOBC can help them work more effectively with their athletes. Before joining SOBC he worked for “Own The Podium” with Olympic athletes from around the world.
 
While visiting our regular fitness program in March, with instructor Tania Finnigan, Jacques talked to some of the athletes and heard stories of their accomplishments. Jacques said that training for athletes on practice days and on their own time is essential. He believes that mixing hard work and training means Special O athletes can compete with the best of the best!
 
It was inspiring to have such a keen eye observing.
 
The April Fools Run takes place on April 8th, with track athletes, Bruce Stuart, Genny Verge, Amber Maher and Micheal Oswald taking part in the relay run. Thanks to coach Tania Finnigan for the weekly training.
 
We also look forward to hearing from Michael Brooks and Derick Pye who will attend a Leadership Conference this month and take part in training for peer mentoring. They will be accompanied by coach Mike Gojevic.
 
Well that’s all for now, stay strong and stay active!

    Author

    Micheal Oswald is the "media man" / athlete reporter for Special Olympics Sunshine Coast.  You can frequently find him out at the many events our local hosts, whether it be taking photos or interviewing participants and/or coaches.  His work is published in our local media and beyond, including an article in the Huffington Post.

    Micheal is also the author of the book I Am A Man Who Cries. The book is a heartfelt compilation of essays, songs and poems - many of which address the experiences and challenges Micheal has faced as a person living with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. 

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