Yukon Special Olympics has named a team for the upcoming 2023 B.C. Winter Games.

The Games take place in Kamloops Feb. 2-5.

The Star spoke Monday with Andrew Elines, program director for Yukon Special Olympics and the chef de mission for the B.C. Winter Games.

“To be chosen for Special Olympics team Yukon, they need to be a registered Special Olympics athlete for at least a program season. And they commit to training frequently from the selection process up until the Game’s time. We are sending eight athletes. So a team of four curlers, three cross country skiers and one figure skater.

“They have to be endorsed by the organization, their coaches and their caregivers. And part of the endorsement would be that commitment to training and being able to travel.

“The athletes have been training two to three times a week from October, and they will continue to train up until the week of (the) Games.”

“All Special Olympics falls under Special Olympics Canada and we attend the Special Olympics B.C.’s Winter Games for Provincials just to ensure we can provide meaningful competition for the athletes,” explained Elines.

“We do work with other sport organizations. So for example, our figure skater shares ice times with Arctic Edge the skating club here. Our curling team is a part of the Whitehorse curling club’s Thursday night League. So we have many partnerships with local Sport organizations again to ensure we can provide opportunities and competition for the athletes here.”

Elines said some Special Olympics athletes have intellectual and physical disabilities.

“Our mission statement is we enrich the lives of Yukoners with intellectual disabilities through sport. So they all have intellectual disabilities. Some may also have a physical disability.”

Elines said there is “loads” of experience on the team.

“The last time we went through the winter cycle – because we follow a similar cycle as the Olympics would every four years – we took athletes to the Canada National Winter Games in Thunder Bay. And seven of these eight athletes that are traveling to provincials this time around attended those games, in the same sport. And many of them have traveled in other sports and competitions. A lot of them travel for summer sports as well. So I would say lots of experience.”

Quite a few of the athletes are multi-sport athletes. There are 10 winter sports and four summer sports they can join.

“It is $50 for the year for them to participate in and we call that a commitment fee,” related Elines. “And they can join as many sports as they like, so as well as training two to three times a week for the sport that they are traveling in. And that is the sport that we want them to really commit and focus on of course. Many of them do participate in at least one or two other sports as well. So I would say any of these athletes are in our programs four times a week.”

Elines said the athletes are excited about being selected since this is the first competition that they’re able to travel in of this capacity post-pandemic.

“Being provincials, it’s a multi sport games. We’re all traveling together as one team Yukon. It’s a big deal, for them and us, and they are very excited and pumped and also committed and dedicated to their sport and representing themselves as best as they can at these games.”

Elines said the athletes are restricted to one sport each at the Games.

“They can travel for one sport and some might have multiple events.” For instance, all of them will be in three different distance events for cross country skiing.

“Our figure skater, Mike Sumner is also traveling to Canada Winter Games to represent Team Yukon in figure skating. The Special Olympics figure skating category.”

The Star also spoke with Sumner Monday.

“I feel pretty confident in my abilities … This is a good opportunity to show off what I’ve been working on for the past few years,” he said.

“I felt very confident and gracious to get this opportunity once again.

“I was kind of expecting this to be coming up.”

Sumner thinks his past experience will pay off for this event.

“I think it will play in really well considering I’ve been to a couple of these provincial games for winter and summer.”

He has been doing two or three days of on-ice figure skating and two or three days of off-ice training per week.

“We used to do the elements portion and the the long program, but it’s just going to be the long program,” related Sumner.

“I’ve been doing a little bit of training on my new routine. And I feel confident in it.”

Sumner said he’s been practicing his new routine for two or three months now.

“It’s coming along,” he said.

As part of his new routine, Sumner has been working on a toe loop and a salchow.

“I feel pretty optimistic about going to the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games. And I feel like I’m just gonna go out and perform my personal best and give it everything I’ve got for the B.C. provincials.”

According to Elines, Sumner has been working hard at his Level 3 skating program. It’s the same level he went through for the Special Olympic cycle for Nationals the last time around.

Special Olympics divides athletes based on gender, age and ability levels to create meaningful competition. Sumner has advanced through Levels 1 and 2 and is now, of course, at Level 3.

Despite this being a B.C. competition, Elines said Yukon Special Olympics will be focused solely on their athletes.

“The main goal I would say for us and the athletes is we want them to go out there and demonstrate what they are capable of and achieve personal bests. That being said, is that we want them all to have aims to qualify to National Games the following year, which is being held in Calgary.

“So their performances will go towards their chances of making it to Nationals the following year.

“I can’t stress this enough, but how hard I have seen them train these last few months, I think they all have a great chance, but (it’s) too early to say how that actually goes.”

Despite bowling being a part of the B.C. Games, Yukon bowlers won’t be taking part.

“We do an in-house bowling championships,” said Elines. “We do a Yukon championships because we can provide meaningful competition in bowling. Our bowling program has over 30 athletes this year.”

Five bowlers from Special Olympics Yukon have the opportunity to qualify for Special Olympics Canada Winter Games 2024.

Elines describes how the Games are scheduled.

“There’s (an) opening ceremony on the second (of February) in the evening, to announce the games and let them commence and then the third and fourth are the days of competition. And then on the evening of the fourth, there’ll be a closing ceremony, celebration and dance. And then we’ll fly back on the fifth.”

Special Olympics is sponsored by the Government of Yukon and Urban Realty Group.

Elines added “It never ceases to amaze me … the level of dedication and commitment these athletes put in. And I’m just happy to be going along for the ride and being a part of the team in whatever capacity. It’s great stuff, honestly. I love the work, the organization.

“A big thank you to the coaches and mission staff that are traveling as well, because without them we really wouldn’t be able to – and the amount of hours that they put in to train our athletes. The athletes dedicate so many hours to this, but the coaches do that and more in terms of the practice planning and planning each session out, going to the competitions, taking the time out of out of their lives. So yeah, it’s a massive commitment for everyone.”