Whitehorse Daily Star

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Photo by Marcel Vander Wier

BURSTS ONTO THE SCENE – Fourteen-year-old Special Olympian Darby McIntyre runs down a trail Wednesday afternoon near his home in the Hillcrest neighbourhood.

McIntyre cracks national Special Olympics roster

For the first time in three decades, Team Canada will have a Yukon flavour at the Special Olympics World Summer Games.

By Marcel Vander Wier on September 19, 2014

For the first time in three decades, Team Canada will have a Yukon flavour at the Special Olympics World Summer Games.

Long distance runner Darby McIntyre received the call this week, and immediately set his training focus on the 2015 World Summer Games in Los Angeles next July.

According to Special Olympics Yukon records, the last athlete from the territory to compete at the once-every-four-years event was Tyler Repka – in 1983. Then 17, Repka played with the floor hockey team.

McIntyre will compete in the 1,500- and 5,000-metre runs, as well as standing long jump and shot put.

The 14-year-old is one of 115 members of the national team – the largest delegation Canada has ever sent to a World Summer Games.

“It’s exciting and surprising,” a bright-eyed, smiling McIntyre said Wednesday in a sit-down interview with the Star.

“I doubted I’d be able to do this, but now I have another chance to have some fun.”

McIntyre earned his spot on Team Canada with an excellent performance at nationals in Vancouver this past July.

There, the youngest member of Team Yukon earned a silver medal in the 5,000-metre with a personal-best 18:57 finish. He went on to win a second silver medal in shot put.

With Team Canada, McIntyre will once again be the youngest athlete on the squad, competing alongside teammates as old as 68.

He referred to the 5,000 as his “golden race,” but admitted he is hoping for good results in the 1,500 as well.

“I’ve always been a runner,” he said. “But I’m better doing longer distances.”

The eldest child of Jerome McIntyre and Elyn Jones, Darby was diagnosed with autism at the age of three.

“He was always a busy guy, always on the move,” Jones recalled.

Overhearing his mom, McIntyre smiled.

“I should be an escape artist,” he interjected.

Four years ago, the youngster registered with Special Olympics, where he kicked his track training up a notch.

Then a student at Christ the King Elementary, McIntyre joined the school running club and soon after won his first ribbons.

Today, he is a Grade 9 student at Vanier Catholic Secondary, where his favourite subjects are phys-ed and industrial arts.

If he’s not running after school, McIntyre can be found hiking, mountain biking, or chopping wood in his backyard.

In the winter, McIntyre is a classic cross-country skier with hopes of one day learning to skate-ski.

He refused to make predictions on what he might be able to achieve on the world stage, saying he didn’t want to “exaggerate,” and would rather just see what happens.

“Good luck charms give you confidence, but the real way to succeed is through training,” he said. “You have to work hard.”

Going forward, McIntyre will continue to work weekly with local running coach Don White and Special Olympics coach Carmen Gustafson.

Next month, he will join Team Canada in Caledon, Ont., for a training camp.

If McIntyre earns a medal at the World Games, he’ll be following in the footsteps of Yukon figure skater Michael Sumner.

Last year, Sumner earned a silver medal at the World Winter Games in South Korea.

The 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games will feature 7,000 athletes from 177 countries competing in 26 sports over nine days.

The event will be the largest sporting event held in Los Angeles since the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Comments (3)

Up 90 Down 86

Elaine & William Van Ooyen on Sep 27, 2014 at 2:14 pm

Darby,
Aunt Elaine and Uncle Bill are proud of you

Up 90 Down 86

Jennifer Richards on Sep 27, 2014 at 11:55 am

Work hard and have fun with it Darby..... Cheering you in on Ontario.
With love Jennifer, Samantha, and Steve Richards

Up 93 Down 86

Mike G on Sep 22, 2014 at 4:19 pm

Way to go Darby!!!!

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