Members of the Prince George Special Olympics Bocce Team, among many others, are looking forward to the upcoming games.

By Tommy Osborne

Special Olympics

Prince George to welcome thousands of athletes in just one month

Jun 9, 2025 | 4:51 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games are only one month away, as Prince George will host the games from July 10-12. With the games so close, excitement is building for the athletes, and everyone else involved.

“We’ve got some incredible volunteers and we’re putting all the pieces together and, no doubt, we’re going to be ready for an incredible experience next month,” said Renee McCloskey, co-chair of the games.

“We are really working night and day to make sure that we can put on the best games. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun,” added fellow co-chair Lyn Hall.

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While excitement is building, McCloskey adds there is also a bit of nervousness, as hosting 1200 athletes plus around 400 additional coaches and supporters, is certainly a tall task.

“It’s accommodation, it’s feeding them, it’s entertaining them, ensuring that they have a first class experience. We’ve got medical and first aid to ensure everything is going to be safe, so there’s a lot of different components involved in bringing these games together,” McCloskey said.

“Everyone’s on board, and everyone’s committed in ensuring that the athletes that are coming here are going to have a world class experience as far as that world class experience goes,” she continued.

Beyond the sports itself, McCloskey and Hall add it’s also a fantastic opportunity for Prince George as a whole, giving the city a chance to continue building on its reputation of hosting high-quality sporting events, such as the 2024 Para Nordic World Cup Finals, among many others.

“It is an opportunity for people to come and see what Prince George is all about, and we love. We’re going to get a number of fans, we’re going to get a number of people supporting the games from outside of our community, and we want them to enjoy the amenities that we have and take a look at what Prince George is all about,” Hall said.

“The facilities that we have are absolutely incredible, so the athletes are going to have an opportunity to compete and enjoy doing that in first class venues that we have in almost all of the sports,” McCloskey added.

An event this big also needs around 1000 volunteers, and McCloskey says the need is high

“I think we’re probably about a third of the way there, a third to about halfway, which is typical for a last minute town, but we’re telling people we’re at the last minute now, so please sign up,” McCloskey said.

If you are interested in volunteering, or learning more, you can visit Special Olympics BC’s website HERE.

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