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If you happen by the Tottenham Arena on a late Monday or Wednesday afternoon, amidst the young skaters working on their routines, you might catch a glimpse of Megan Morse. Megan is a “Special Olympian” who skates with the New Tecumseth and District Figure Skating Club. Not just any “Special Olympian”, Megan is the Ladies Level 2 Special Olympics Ontario champion. She earned her Ontario gold medal last January in Thunder Bay and now starts her pursuit of a national championship. In February of 2012, Megan and the other 173 athletes of the Ontario Special Olympics Team head to St. Albert, Alberta for the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games.
Special Olympics Canada is one of 170 programs within a world-wide movement, dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadians with intellectual disabilities through sport. The Special Olympics movement was founded by the late Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968 and was officially recognized by the International Olympics Committee in 1988. Like the Olympics, Special Olympics is divided into summer and winter events, local, regional, provincial, national and international competitions. The World Summer Games were held in Athens in 2011. The next World Winter Games will be hosted by Pyeong Chang, South Korea in 2013. Unlike the Olympics, Special Olympics is also divided into ability levels with strict rules on what is permitted, and what will be scored, at each level. All in keeping with the guiding spirit as expressed in the words of Ms. Kennedy-Shriver; “Every person, regardless of whatever different abilities they may have, can contribute, can be a source of joy, can beam with pride and love.” And beam they do!! It is impossible to go to a Special Olympics event without experiencing a sense of community, love, joy, laughter, fun and achievement. Oh, there is competition as well, but there is a different feel to the competition. Everyone, it seems, cheers on everyone. Megan was part of the Canada Winter Games Ontario team in Halifax in February 2011. The Canada Games (summer and winter) are held every two years and are a key step in the development of Canadian athletes. The Canada Winter Games include Special Olympics figure skating. The St. Margaret’s Centre arena was a packed house for both “regular” and Special Olympics competitions; the largest audience many of these young people had ever seen. The young lady representing Newfoundland found it all too overwhelming and froze at centre ice as her music played on. The audience didn’t know what to do, but a competitor from the New Brunswick team did. She skated out to her, took her hand and skated with her around the ice. That’s Special Olympics! Not a dry eye in the house! How did Megan do? Well, let’s just say that there is another gold medal that Dad has to frame. Megan has started the hard work that she will need to do for the upcoming games with the wonderful support of the New Tecumseth and District Figure Skating Club. So if you are around the Tottenham arena some late afternoon you might just take a minute to, in the spirit of Special Olympics, cheer them all on. Part of what Megan has to do is raise $1,000 to help with the costs of sending the team to Alberta. If you feel you can help contact the figure skating club at president @ newtecskatingclub.com RECORD NUMBER OF SUCCESFUL TESTS! Our congratulations to the following skaters for their accomplishments this past season:
Congratulations skaters! The NTDSC is proud to be hosting the Area Competition 'Frolic's on Ice' the weekend of January 14th & 15th, 2012. Details can be found on the 2011-2012 Event Schedule posted on the Skate Canada - Central Ontario website. This year's theme is Canada. The 'Ice Men' have been booked. Date: Saturday, March 3rd. Tickets will be available early February, 2012. More details to follow.
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