Five Langley athletes will be representing B.C. at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Calgary.
Four are members of the curling team; Brent Ponak, Kati Kovacs, Ryerson Shelvey, and Shane Winter; while Kailyn Potomak will be competing in Alpine skiing.
On Sunday, Jan. 28, curling team members were practising at the Langley Curling Centre, put through their paces by head coach Tracy Boyd, a Langley City resident.
”I don’t really have to do much as a coach, because they’re just awesome,” Boyd smiled.
The team qualified for the nationals by winning at the provincial Special Olympics last year, Boyd explained.
“They worked really hard, and made me very proud.”
READ ALSO: Every Langley athlete won a medal at Special Olympics B.C. Winter Games in Kamloops
The Langley team added Port Coquitlam resident Jeremy Kong, who has been to the provincials, to the roster as a required fifth, alternate player.
“He fits very well with the team,” Boyd commented.
“Hopefully we’ll bring home a nice medal. That would be the the best thing. But, if we don’t, that’s okay too because the experience alone builds them as a team.”
Boyd thanked sponsor Bruce Boxall for making it possible for every national player to have a British Columbia broom with their name on it and a team bag, and the Langley Curling Centre for helping them get a good deal.
Curling team co-coach Laura Murphy described the team as confident and “over the moon” with excitement.
“Like every athlete – whether professional or not – they go through their stages. They put a lot of pressure on themselves to be the best that they can be,” Murphy added. “Which is a good thing, because it keeps them progressing and continuing. They’ve definitely put in the work.”
Alpine skier Kailyn Potomak has won multiple medals at various Special Olympics Winter Games.
Her dad, Peter Potomak, described Kailyn as ready to go and excited to be competing.
“She’s been skiing since she’s been three years old. She gives it her best.”
These six athletes are part of Special Olympics BC’s largest-ever national winter team, comprised of 142 athletes, 50 coaches, and 14 mission staff from 31 communities across the province.
From Feb. 27 to March 2, they will be competing in eight sports at the Calgary games, including five-pin bowling, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, floor hockey, snowshoeing, and speed skating.
Michelle Cruickshank, Special Olympics Team BC 2024 Chef de Mission, said it’s been a “long-anticipated wait for our athletes to be returning to competition at the national level.”
“Through all of the adversity we have faced during and coming out of the pandemic, I know that they will do B.C. proud at the national games,” Cruickshank predicted.
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