Special Olympics Athletes are training in shotput, among other events, for the upcoming track and field portion of the 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games.

By Tommy Osborne

Special Olympics

Track and Field team training hard as provincial games draws near

Jun 24, 2025 | 3:19 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – It’s the final push for many Special Olympics athletes, as the 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games is only weeks away from starting in Prince George. With that, the track and field team in Prince George is training hard to put their best foot forward against hundreds of visitors.

“They’re extremely excited, they’ve been working hard all year and this is like the final push. We’re just getting all the little things, the kinks and stuff like that. And they’re ready, they’re ready to go,” said Special Olympics track and field coach Wilma Van Hage.

The athletes will be competing in events like the 100m, 200m, 400m runs, javelin, shotput, and long jump. It takes a lot of dedication getting ready for the wide variety of events, but Wilma says the team will be ready thanks to their practice.

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“They come to all the practices and they give it their all. It’s been really good,” she said.

As for the athletes, excitement is growing with the games only weeks away. Beyond the main focus of the sports and competition itself, they all said one of the things they’re most excited for is the community aspect of the event and meeting new people.

“Meeting new people and seeing athletes that I haven’t seen in a long time. Also, the dance at the end, and the opening ceremony,” said track and field athlete Tyler Lefebvre on what he’s most excited for.

Another athlete, Marinka Van Hage, has competed in the provincial games before, and says she’s really excited to compete again. She adds it can be quite an emotional moment when the day finally arrives.

“The opening ceremony, when it’s done, it makes me cry because the next day is the competition,” she said.

As for Wilma, who has been volunteering for decades, she says she’s also excited for the provincial games, adding it’s always great to work with the athletes and help them grow.

“They are amazing. They try so hard, it’s an inspiration to see them work so hard and then achieve their goals. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else, this is the place to be,” she said.

She adds she encourages anyone else to volunteer, saying it is an incredible experience and a wonderful opportunity to work within a great community. If you are interested in learning more, or would like to volunteer, you can visit Special Olympics BC’s website HERE. You can also phone the Special Olympics BC office if you’d like to volunteer at 604-785-9038, which is open Monday-Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

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