By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
South Okanagan athletes from Osoyoos and Oliver brought home the gold after besting their competitors at the 2023 Special Olympics BC Winter Games over the weekend.
The South Okanagan (Region 2) team named “The Brats” bowled their way to gold medal success in their division with 4,495 points in total at the games in Kamloops from February 2-5.
The Brats consist of Osoyoos team members Sascha Bayliss, Ryan Richter, and Pat Krieger (coach), while the Oliver team members are Angela Flannigan, Travis Block, and Bobby Brimacombe.
When the Times Chronicle caught up with them during their weekly practice at Kobau Lanes Bowling Centre in Osoyoos Monday night, the team was smiling from ear-to-ear as they wore their newly minted gold medals over their team uniforms.
Travis Block tests the metal.
Coach Krieger chuckled as she relayed that the team was “pretty stoked” to win. “They really wanted to go, and they really wanted to win!”
She’s been involved as a coach for nearly 17 years and the best part for her: “I love to watch them grow!”
For Flannigan, who previously won a medal in the sport of bocce, when asked which one was the more exciting win, it was unequivocal: “Bowling!” she said with a huge smile. Aside from winning the gold, she said “the big party with neon colours” was a big highlight for her.
And Block, who was a provincials first timer, winning the gold medal “is phenomenal and I was glad that we walked out with the gold.” He added that the team had a feeling the night before the finals that they would be walking out with the gold medal around their necks. “We are looking forward to the nationals in Calgary and one more [medal] around our necks!”
Likewise, Richter is “super excited” that they won and it’s also his first time at the provincials. He said the team was a bit nervous in the beginning, “just getting out there the first couple of frames, and then it just got better as we went on.”
“It was great, I loved it!” added Bayliss, the youngest member of the team.
And for Brimacombe, the most experienced member of the team having competed previously at both the provincials and the nationals in Prince Edward Island in 2018, this win was bigger, he said.
Ryan Richter delivers his shot.
The team competed in the regional qualifiers during the winter of 2022 in order to qualify for the 2023 SOBC Winter Games.
The South Okanagan bowling team may go on to compete in the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Calgary, which also acts as a qualifier for the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games.
Unfortunately, because five-pin bowling is only played in Canada, the nationals are as far as the team can advance.
Lee Chic, South Okanagan coordinator for Special Olympics BC expressed her delight at the success of fundraising efforts both through the partnership with Tim Hortons to sell Special Olympics donuts, as well as cash donations.
The Tim Hortons located in each town were staffed by volunteers and included local VIPs including mayors, councillors, and RCMP officers.
“They sold tons of donuts and received a lot of cash donations as well,” Chic said, adding it was a “very successful” fundraiser.
Volunteers, including the RCMP, local politicians and staff from Osoyoos Credit Union (pictured above) were out in force at both Osoyoos and Oliver locations of Tim Hortons encouraging the purchase of Special Olympics donuts from Feb. 3-5.
Chic noted that when teams go to the regionals the local division pays all the expenses including transportation, hotels, food etc., as is also the case with the provincials. Only for the nationals does Special Olympics BC pick up the tab.
The South Okanagan was also represented at the games by a curling squad that despite its best efforts returned home medal-less.
The team named “South Okanagan Rockstars” comprised of Kyle Sanderson, Mark Westberg, Harlei Kelliher, Steven Schwebbach, and coaches Darryl Sanderson and Greg Crawford.
The games’ participants were welcomed to Kamloops and the unceded ancestral lands within Secwepemcúlecw (Shuswap Nation) by Kukpi7 Rosanne Casimir on behalf of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc.
The 2023 SOBC Winter Games saw approximately 500 athletes with intellectual disabilities competing with pride in the eight SOBC winter sports: 5-pin bowling, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, curling, figure skating, floor hockey, snowshoeing, and speed skating. The participating athletes were supported by approximately 250 volunteer coaches and staff.
