Surrey and Delta athletes head to Canada Summer Games

Athletes from Surrey and Delta are among the members of Special Olympics Team BC travelling to Medicine Hat, Alta., for the 2026 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games, running Tuesday through Saturday, Aug. 11-15.

The provincial team includes more than 244 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities, 75 volunteer coaches and 22 mission staff from more than 42 communities across British Columbia. Competitors will take part in 10-pin bowling, basketball, bocce, golf, powerlifting, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming and athletics.

Surrey-born bocce head coach Arjan Basra said the team of 20, including several Surrey athletes, arrived safely and enthusiastically. Individual competition runs Wednesday to Saturday, followed by divisional round-robin play and an elimination bracket.

Basra said results matter, but so do the experience and personal bests achieved by athletes. He described seeing athletes’ enjoyment and the payoff from years of training as a central reward of coaching.

More than 1,700 athletes and coaches are participating overall, with competitors also seeking opportunities to represent Canada at the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Santiago, Chile. Details are available at specialolympics.bc.ca.