Final day

Thomas Boyes has played many sports from bowling to swimming but when he competed in the Special Olympics Ontario Winter Games he only focused on one– snowshoeing.

Boyes, 22, who represented Thunder Bay at the games, competed in the 400-metre race on Saturday at Kamview Nordic Centre. A regular competitor in the games, he said it was his first time trying snowshoeing and so far, he thinks its great.

While he took third place in the 200-metre race on Friday, he wanted to try to bring home the gold medal in his next race, he said.

"The Special Olympics is a great way to get involved and a great way to train to do all these sports," Boyes said. "It feels awesome to have the Special Olympics in town."

Boyes mother, Sandi, cheered her son on as he raced down the snowy track. Sandi has volunteered for eight years at the Special Olympics and said the games offered some good exercise and a chance for her son to challenge himself.

When Boyes isn’t competing in sports, he often watches the Lakehead University Thunderwolves or volunteers at the university in between shifts at work, she said.

"He’s a very busy guy," Sandi said. "The Special Olympics is awesome for the athletes. They meet new friends, they get to socialize together, they’re at the hotels, they get their own independence and overall it’s just good for them."

Roger Kowalchuk, a coach for the Special Olympics, said he had to keep Boyes motivated and focused so that he could compete in the games. A retired teacher with the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board, Kowalchuk first volunteered with the Special Olympics two years ago.

With 32 years of experience as a teacher, he said that experience helped him prepare for the Special Olympics.

"I get more out of this than I put into it," Kowalchuk said. "It is just a wonderful experience. I highly recommend it to anyone who has that inclination."

While Boyes and many of the other athletes prepared, the games experienced another delay. Organizers delayed or cancelled many of the outdoor events on Friday because of frigid temperatures.

Hilary Mettam, venue manager for Nordic snowsnoeing, said the cold weather delayed the games scheduled start time of 8:30 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. but the temperature warmed up enough for them to start the games.

"As soon as we got word that it was only -24 we started the races," Mettam said. "Today we’re running all events as planned."

The Special Olympics wraps up Saturday night with closing ceremonies scheduled at 7 p.m. at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.