Smiles and new experiences highlighted the Northwestel Development Games on Saturday.
Just under 30 athletes with Special Olympics Yukon (SOY) took part in the annual event held in Carmacks for the first time.
“It was a fantastic day. The athletes were incredible, they all participated, had a lot of fun, and learned and developed a lot of skills,” said SOY program director Brettanie Deal-Porter.
“(The Games are about) trying new sports, having fun and learning new skills, and just broadening their scope of what’s out there.”
Yukon athletes participated in golf, swimming and floor hockey. There was also a “FUNfitness” segment, a program developed by the American Physical Therapy Association, that included strength, flexibility and stamina tests.
“It’s for our Healthy Athletes component, which is an international program that Special Olympics runs to increase the awareness our athletes have about their health,” said Deal-Porter.
Contact Tom Patrick at
tomp@yukon-news.com