ALL SPORTS CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

FOR HOME ACTIVITIES, INFORMATION ABOUT COVID-19 AND OTHER RESOURCES, CLICK THE "CURRENT RESOURCES" HEADER

Virtual Games

The Virtual Games are happening! Be sure to sign up on their website to participate. If you are participating, be sure to send us a picture of you competing to be featured on our social media! Good luck to everyone who participates and have fun competing!

Virtual Games Interview

Marley Gayler, a Kitchener-Waterloo Special Olympics athlete was interviewed alongside Sascha King, Marley's coach, as well as Melissa Quarrie from WRPS. In the interview they discussed the Virtual Games being hosted by Special Olympics this month. Check out the interview here!

Communication Advisory - COVID-19

In consultation with many of the Special Olympics programs, as well as the public health information being broadcasted to encourage caution in approaches to staying healthy, Special Olympics Ontario has directed that all local sports programs, competitions, and any other Special Olympic events will continue to be suspended until July 31, 2020. The pandemic will continue to be monitored and there will be another update on the status of events on or before July 31st.

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to speak with a Special Olympics staff member on pandemic-related topics, email covid19@specialolympicsontario.com or call 1-888-333-5515 ext. 311 to leave a voice message and they will follow up with you.

While the quarantine continues, stay safe, healthy, and active!

Healthy @ Home

Special Olympics Ontario has been working on a number of initiatives to help keep athletes and the community social, active, positive, and informed. One of these initiatives is Healthy @ Home!

On the Special Olympics Ontario website, Special Olympics will be updating it's pages to:

• Stay Connected: How to connect with fiends, coaches, athletes, and Special Olympics Ontario while staying safe and social distancing
• Stay Active: How to stay active and fit at home, so you can keep healthy while activities are on hold
• Stay Positive: Here you can find tools and resources to support the mental health of the Special Olympics community, as well as yourself
• Stay Informed: Here you can find information about what COVID-19 is and what steps you can take to stay healthy and reduce the risk of those around you

Finally, you can find the Weekly Wellness Challenge here. This page, along with the others, is updated weekly, so make sure you check back to stay connected, stay active, stay positive, and stay informed.

Spring Games Postponed

Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we will be postponing the Spring Games until further notice. Special Olympics and the Waterloo Regional Police Service believe this is the best option in order to keep everyone safe and healthy. Despite this announcement, we encourage all participants and members of the community to stay active throughout this time. More information on COVID-19 and resources on how to stay fit are provided below. Stay safe!

Featured News

Resources for Athletes During COVID-19 Cancellations

During the upcoming weeks with all the activity cancellations amid the COVID-19 outbreak, we encourage all athletes to keep healthy and active. In order to do so, here are some resources to help get exercise while social distancing:

• eLearning Course: For anyone looking to learn the basic information about coronavirus and how to protect yourself. Follow the instructions on this PDF to register and complete
• Resources for Young Athletes:
  • Here you can find flashcards for short at-home activities, and here there is a guide for caregivers to run these activities
  • Here you can find videos demonstrating the Young Athletes activities
  • Here you can find advice for explaining COVID-19 to children
• Fit 5 Resources Series: For anyone looking for short videos demonstrating athletic activities, you can find them here
• School of Strength: The School of Strength provides athletes with a fitness tracker, fitness videos, and a guide to healthy snacks

Medalists at Nationals

Congratulations to everyone who participated in the snowshoeing events at nationals in Thunder Bay this year! Everyone did a wonderful job and we are so proud of those who competed. Thanks to everyone who supported our athletes and everyone else who participated! Not pictured: Gaerrisen Freeland won gold in the 400 m race as well.