Special Olympics Yukon just had their best-ever medal count at the Canada Winter Games.

The team competed at the Games in Calgary, which ran from Feb. 27-March 2.

In total, the team won six gold, six silver and one bronze.

The Star spoke with Special Olympics Yukon Executive Director Serge Michaud Monday.

"The last day was a little too cold and so they had to cancel the cross country skiing relay races. However, we found out late, late Friday night, sort of Saturday morning, our bowlers won four medals in singles, two gold and two silver, which was quite a surprise, not because our athletes didn't bowl well. we just didn't know until late Friday after all the results got compiled."

Michaud added, "Nobody on Team Yukon finished lower than fourth the entire week. No matter the sport, no matter the division."

The bowlers didn't medal in the team competition, despite their strong overall showing.

Mike Sumner won silver in the Men’s Level 3 Division Friday.

According to Michaud, Tanya Sage, one of Sumner's coaches, touted his performance, and Sumner himself said it was the skate of his life.

"He was super, super happy with his skate."

When asked what stood out for him, Michaud replied, "I think when you look at Darby and Owen, their performance, just the ski team in general. Three athletes taking home eight medals for three athletes."

Michaud also had high praise for the curlers.

"The curlers were in one of the top divisions in the country. And it just goes to show like, four years of hard work from the last games in Thunder Bay really paid off. Do they come back with a medal? No, but they were they were one of the top 10 teams in the country. The top seven teams in the country when you think about it.

"They learned a lot and they won a game. They beat Campbell River and unfortunately fell short against them in the bronze medal game in the rematch but they were in the bottom division in Thunder Bay. And so here we are four years later and they climbed to one of the top divisions in the country."

Michaud had kind words about the team in general.

"This was what I would call a very well prepared and trained team. But the personal best performances that happened throughout the week, and the medal count was due to their hard work and their determination."

Michaud added, "The amount of hours our coaches have put in in the last four years to help our athletes train and compete in the sports they love to play is pretty amazing."

Michaud mentioned that former program director Andrew Lines left Special Olympics Yukon in September but stayed on to serve as chef de mission for the Calgary Games.

"He certainly didn't disappoint. The two goals we had for Andrew is obviously the best ever for the team but also having two new program staff, Hannah Goodings and Emma Hill, basically mentoring them, because at the Games in Medicine Hat in '26, summer games, it's gonna be their team. I think that he accomplished both goals. And the athletes, coaches, board, mission staff, we're all gonna miss Andrew."

Michaud was asked how he defines "best ever."

He responded, "We're not about just about medal count. We're not just about personal bests. We're about all of that and the journey and how they got there.

"So Bobbi-Rae Patchet, to win a gold medal at national games in bowling. There's a girl who's never been in national games, she's never been to a national competition, she's never been to a competition in bowling, and for her to persevere through the whole week and just be so proud to represent our territory and to pull off a gold medal. That's amazing.

"Mike Sumner, he didn't win gold in figure skating, but I watched that skate, and that was the smoothest skate I've ever seen him do. He went out there and owned it as best he could."

Michaud also pointed out that McIntyre was in the top division for all of his races.

"I can't say enough about our skiers. The three of them are just lightning. And they just they love to be out there. They love to train, Lee (Hawkings) and Rachelle (Boudreau) were there every step of the way, helping them out. A special shout out to Helen Slama, who coaches our general program and the support she gave us well, and I think that like it takes so many people to make this happen for athletes, and we did it again."

Here are the final Special Olympics Yukon results:

5 Pin Bowling

Bobbi-Rae Patchett, Ladies Singles F4 – GOLD
Mallory Pigage, Ladies Singles F5 – GOLD
Gracie Ryckman, Ladies Singles F7 – SILVER
Duncan McRae, Men’s Singles M2 – SILVER
Garry Chaplin, Men’s Singles M9 – 4th Place

Cross Country Skiing

Padraig “Darby” McIntyre:

Men’s 5 km classic M1 – GOLD
Men’s 7.5 km classic M1 – SILVER
Men’s 10 km classic M1 – GOLD

Owen Munroe:

Men’s 5 km classic M3 – GOLD
Men’s 7.5 km classic M3 – SILVER
Men’s 10 km classic M2 – GOLD

Ernest Chua:

Men’s 500m classic M1 – 4th Place
Men’s 1 km classic M2 – BRONZE
Men’s 2.5 km classic M4 – SILVER

Curling

Gaetan “Gaets” Michaud (skip), Edward Kaye (3rd), Brandle Bruneau (2nd), Carrie Rudolph (lead): Division 2 – 4th Place

Figure Skating

Mike Sumner, Men’s Level 3 – SILVER