Several Special Olympics athletes and their families spent time together at a barbecue.

By Tommy Osborne

Special Olympics

Families reflect on Special Olympics huge impacts ahead of provincial games

Jul 2, 2025 | 5:44 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – The 2025 Special Olympics BC Summer Games is only one week away, and excitement is building for the athletes and families. As the excitement builds, some of the families had a chance to reflect on just how impactful Special Olympics has been, both on and off the field.

“I feel like as a family, we have met a lot of people that we would have never met without Special Olympics. The families outside, different athletes through coaching, things like that. We would have never probably been connected with these people otherwise,” said Jill Cole, the sister of Special Olympics Athlete Greg Cole.

“To see him be able to go out and play and just freely be himself is the biggest part, right? Because he can go out and it’s not about competition or about having to, be the best. Although he really loves it when he does well and you’ll see him celebrate, which is great. And that’s just part of him being him, right? It’s just that part where he can be free and just be himself. That’s the part that we actually just are happy to have,” said Phil Jolicoeur, father to Special Olympics Athlete Tim Jolicoeur.

The sporting aspect of Special Olympics is of course the key component, but the community that comes with it has been equally as impactful for many of the athletes, as the relationships formed through sport also extend well beyond it.

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“He lives in a community of Special Olympics athletes. He does a great job, and I would say the majority of his friends are in Special Olympics. By being friends with all these people, he gets the chance to make new friendships, he’s a lucky guy,” said Grant Eveneshen, father to Special Olympics Athlete Greg Evaneshen.

“Our world has become much richer. We’ve formed really good friendships with a lot of families. Greg (Cole) himself has some wonderful friends, and they have a really strong peer group among the athletes in Special Olympics,” said Tracy Cole, mother to Special Olympics Athlete Greg Cole.

Because the athletes are able to gain so much from the organization, the families add the positive benefits are felt by everyone in the family too, not just the athletes themselves. For the Jolicoeur family, they say it’s been a great way to bring the family together.

“What we appreciated too is that, because we would do it very much all together as a family, we would go and when they were little, Elizabeth (Jolicoeur) would get included in a lot of the activities as well,” said Angel Jolicoeur, mother to Special Olympics Athlete Tim Jolicoeur.

“I think it’s just fun, and I love helping out and being a part of it. It’s been a really good experience,” said Elizabeth Jolicoeur, Tim’s sister.

If you’d like to get involved, either as a family looking to get involved in the sports, or as a volunteer, you can visit Special Olympics BC’s website.

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