Eight Special Olympics BC athletes from Prince George along with their coaches travelled to Kelowna to compete in the Special Olympics B.C. Kelowna Swim meet on March 29 at H2O Fitness Centre.
There were swim teams from throughout BC taking part in the one-day competition.
Local athletes have been in training twice a week since October to prepare for the competition and were excited to compete in several events, Wilma VanHage, public relations coordinator, Special Olympics BC Prince George, said in a recent press release.
Three of the eight athletes who attended the meet, Carla Caputo, Dallas Poole and Brooklyn Sherba, already qualified in 2024 for the upcoming Special Olympics BC Summer Games.
This was a great opportunity for the athletes to get more competition experience ahead of the BC Summer Games set for July 10 to 12 in Prince George, VanHage said.
From there they hope to win a spot on the BC team which will allow them to compete at the Special Olympics National Summer Games being held in Medicine Hat, Alberta, from August 11 to 15, 2026.
Here are the results from the Kelowna Swim Meet:
- Carla Caputo – 3 first place finishes and 4 second place finishes
- Greg Cole - 1 first, 1 second, 2 thirds, 1 sixth place finish
- Ashwinni Cumbamngalam - 1 second, 2 thirds, 3 fourth place finishes
- Dallas Poole - 1 first, 3 seconds, 2 fourth place finishes
- Josh Pudney - 1 first, 2 seconds, 1 third, 2 fourth place finishes
- Spencer Rourke - 1 third place, 2 fourth place, 1 fifth place finish
- Brooklyn Sherba - 2 first, 3 seconds, 1 fifth place finish
- Marinka VanHage - 1 first, 1 second, 1 third, 1 fourth place finish
The 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games to be held in Prince George needs 1,000 volunteers to make it a success for the 1,200 athletes that will compete from July 10 to 12. For more information and to register visit www.specialolympics.ca/british-columbia.
