HANDOUT PHOTO
Medicine Hat Athletes pose for a photo during the opening ceremony of the 2025 Special Olympic Alberta Provincial Summer Games held in Grande Prairie from July 11-13. Hatters would take home 19 medals and help the Calgary softball team clinch a gold medal in the tournament.
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Twenty athletes from Medicine Hat returned after winning multiple medals during the 2025 Special Olympic Alberta Provincial Summer Games that were held in Grande Prairie last weekend.
It was three days of games, starting July 11, that allows athletes to qualify for the national team.
Overall, athletes from Medicine Hat clinched 19 medals throughout eight official summer sports, additionally five members of the softball team played with Calgary to fill out the roster, winning a gold medal in the event.
The Medicine Hat gold medal softball winners on the Calgary team were Chuck McDonald, Elaine McDonald, Joey, Corbin Mayer and Trina Demaris.
In swimming, Karris George picked up a silver medal in the 25m backstroke competition and Kaytlyn Spicer won bronze in both the 25m and 50m backstroke events.
Hatters dominated in 10-pin bowling. Mitch MacDonald took home one gold and two silver medals in the 10-pin events. Brielle Granger and Christine Sullivan also took home three medals each in the 10-pin competition. Granger and Sullivan each won two silvers and one bronze. Additionally Sinjin Soper also won two silver medals in the 10-pin bowling event.
In bocce, Medicine Hat teams won both gold and silver medals. The gold medal winning team consisted of Ashley, Micheal, Pamela Brag and Jessica McCombe. The silver medalists are Brydon Marchand, Nigel Zimmerman, Gaven Harker and Blair Yuhas.
Some athletes opted out of providing their last names for privacy reasons.
Gold medalist Jessica McCombe says a highlight from the bocce event came after defeating a team from St. Albert as well as having fun together in the hotel room with her roommate.
“Sharing a room with people and getting used to it,” McCombe said. We were cheering with other teams and other sports.”
Medicine Hat athletes will not know if they qualified to make the national team until an official decision will be made in September, however the real highlight from the weekend event was the fun and camaraderie experienced by the athletes.
“We had a lot of fun, I mean it was certainly busy, but all our athletes had a good time, and we were successful,” said Jennifer Dixon, co-chair, Medicine Hat Special Olympics. “The camaraderie between the team, seeing them have fun together at the dance events, cheering on the plane, things like that, seeing them meld together as a team.”
Golfer Tyler Spotte says his favorite part of the weekend was meeting new people and attending nightly parties that were held for athletes.
Despite medaling, Spotte shot a 55 and a 58 and placed eighth overall in the tournament.
At the end of June, Special Olympic athletes, coaches and family members participated in an official torch run held by the Law Enforcement Torch Run team throughout downtown prior to the games as a special way to send the team of athletes from the Hat as well their coaches and volunteers.
Next August, Medicine Hat will host that national stage as the City prepares to welcome more than 1,700 athletes and coaches from coast to coast for the 2026 Special Olympic Canada Summer Games.
