By Derek Cornet

Special Olympics season starting soon in La Ronge

Sep 26, 2018 | 12:00 PM

The La Ronge chapter of Special Olympics Saskatchewan is gearing up for another season.

An online registration event was held Tuesday at Northlands College, which was open to athletes and volunteers who wanted to be involved for the next 12 months. According to local Special Olympics board member Kelly Haydukewich, the chapter usually has 20 to 25 athletes participating in various events every year.

“Travelling across the province and visiting other clubs, we noticed ours is quite a bit younger than most,” he said. “We have a lot of athletes who are in … school to athletes in their early 20s.”

With the season starting soon, Haydukewich noted athletes will start using the gym at the Kikinahk Friendship Centre to get back into shape. While basketball will be a new sport this year, he added more familiar activities like bowling and snowshoeing will continue as well. Anyone nine years old or higher can sign up to be an athlete in the club.

With Special Olympics being in La Ronge for five years, Haydukewich said athletes in the chapter are improving as witnessed by Tyler Tsannie’s advancement to a national competition in Nova Scotia a few months ago. He also stated the chapter is organized by a core group of eight people with a handful of volunteers who give their time when called upon.

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“I think every community needs this,” Haydukewich said. “The athletes get so much out of it. The athletes become more confident with their every day lives through sport whether they’re doing jobs or going to school.”

Those thoughts are shared by Tsannie’s mother, Anne, who moved her family to La Ronge from Wollaston Lake three years ago. Two of her children are involved as athletes in the club and she added they both enjoy being involved.

“If I would have know about it a long time ago, I would have moved here,” Tsannie said.

derek.cornet@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @saskjourno