Two athletes and a coach from Summerland will be on Team B.C. 2014 in the Special Olympics next month.
The Special Olympics Canada 2014 Summer Games will be in Vancouver July 8 to 12, with 360 members of British Columbia’s provincial team taking part.
There are 276 British Columbia athletes with intellectual disabilities, 70 coaches and 14 mission staff.
In five-pin bowling are Summerland athlete Carl Richard and coach T.J. Fleming.
In Bocce is athlete Ida Rebagliatti.
This is the first time since 1990 that the games have been held in B.C.
“Our athletes are going to be ready to dominate on home soil,” said Shawn Fevens, Team B.C. Chef de Mission. “Team B.C. has a dedicated and talented group of athletes and coaches who have been working hard for three years to reach this level.”
The 11 sports in the Special Olympics are 10-pin bowling, five-pin bowling, aquatics, athletics, basketball, bocce, golf, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer and softball.
Athletes qualified for the games through their performances at the 2013 Special Olympics B.C. Summer Games in Langley.
The competitions are held on a four-year cycle for summer and winter sports. Athletes compete regionally and then at the Provincial Games to advance to the National Games. The Special Olympics Canada Games are the qualifiers for the Special Olympics World Games.
The 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Los Angeles.