February 10, 2015
2022
Six local Special Olympics athletes brought home gold medals from the provincial winter games held in North Bay at the end of January.
The curling team of Brandon Carroll and Chris Weese, second; Jackie McDonald, lead; Tyler Jilek, vice; and Ryan Brodhagen, skip; as well as figure skater Rosie Laidler, were all smiles Sunday morning as they posed for photos at the Ripley Curling Club. Coaches of the curling team, are Jim McDonald and Eunice McConnell.
The athletes qualified for the provincial games after winning the regionals last spring in Orangeville.
This is the first time the curling team has advanced to the provincials and the athletes were very excited.
"We faced some tough competition," said Brodhagen. "We had a few difficult shots and it always came down to the last rock. There were some close games."
"It was really cold," said Jackie McDonald. "The temperature was minus-37 Celsius Friday night, and about minus 30 Celsius during the day."
Laidler took gold in Level 5 freeskate, and Level 4 solo dance. "I had a lot of fun," she said. "I saw some friends that I had made at other competitions."
Julie Dunlop of Kincardine was also at North Bay as a skating coach.
The athletes are eligible to go to the national winter games in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, in February/March, 2016. But they will have to wait to find out how many teams from Ontario will be allowed to compete at the national games.
"I've never been to Newfoundland before," said Laidler. "It would be great to go."
Written ByLiz Dadson is the founder and editor of the Kincardine Record and has been in the news business since 1986.
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