Team Alberta bowlers making final preparations for Special Olympics Canada Winter Games
Twice a week, a team of bowlers hits the lanes at the Bowling Depot in Northeast Calgary training for the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games.
Lori Cornwell has been bowling for 10 years and this is her first national championship
“I am so excited to be going with the best team out there,” said Cornwell. “Winning medals and being with my teammates and making new friends is why I’m going.”
“And partying and rocking like a rock star with all my teammates.”
Some like Cornwell are veteran bowlers, others are newer. This will be the first time Karl Malone has competed in a national final.
“The nationals is going to be like incredible, happy, encouraging, stunning,” said Malone. “If I win the medal I’d be happy about it.”
For some, like Fawn Jager, the draw is simply the game itself
“This will be my first time at nationals,” said Jager. “I’ve gotten so many trophies from it. And I’ve learned a whole lot.”
The Special Olympics are renowned for the way athletes, despite being competitors, also become friends, and for the Team Alberta bowlers that is one of the main reasons they are excited to be at the games.
“I think meeting new friends is important to me,” said Leanne Loewen. “I think the medal is an extra prize to me but meeting new people around the world is more important to me."
Michael Nauss really wants a gold though, just so he can show it off.
“Oh yeah, I really want a medal this year,” said Nauss. “So I can take it to work and show it to my guys at work.”
The team’s coaches are looking forward to the games as much as the athletes.
“It is going to be so much fun for not just the athletes but for us too,” said Team Alberta coach Corinna Cayer.
“If you've been watching them, you can see a little bit of their competitiveness. But the whole concept between all of this is fun, right? We're here to have fun. If we get medals perfect, if we don't, we've met new people, and we've enjoyed each other's company.”
The Special Olympics Canada Winter Games kick off in Calgary on Feb. 27 with opening ceremonies at Stampede Park.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6977053.1721909931!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
WATCH LIVE 'Sick to my stomach': People grieve Jasper National Park by sharing favourite photos
As an out-of-control wildfire roared through Alberta’s famed Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday, many are fearing the worst as officials warned of 'significant loss' within the area.
LIVE UPDATES 'Hopefully it's better than what we're thinking': Jasper wildfire damage details anxiously awaited
Officials are waiting to learn Thursday morning the extent of wildfire damage in the Jasper townsite of Jasper National Park, which flames began to eat away at the night before.
Canadian women's soccer team staffer given suspended prison sentence over drone incident, prosecutor says
A Canada women's soccer team staffer has been given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after flying a drone to film the closed-door training session of the New Zealand team on Monday, the prosecutor's office said in a statement.
Sale of envoy's NYC condo 'expected to exceed' $9M: government
The current official residence for Canada's representative in New York City is 'being readied for sale,' according to a spokesperson from Global Affairs Canada.
WATCH LIVE Jasper wildfire burns buildings, while poor air quality forces some fire crews out
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on social media that Ottawa has approved Alberta's request for federal assistance after a fast-moving wildfire hit Jasper National Park and its townsite late Wednesday.
'I'm so broke': Two Toronto women speak out after losing $76,000 in romance scam
Two women from the Toronto area are speaking out after losing thousands of dollars to a romance scam, including a single mother who lost $62,000.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
What the F1 grid for 2025 looks like so far: Max Verstappen commits, despite speculation
After French driver Esteban Ocon signed a contract Thursday to partner rookie Ollie Bearman at Haas, five Formula One teams have now completed their lineups for next season. Five seats at four teams remain unfilled.
Loblaw to settle class action over bread price-fixing for $500 million
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. and its parent company George Weston Ltd. say they have agreed to pay $500 million to settle a pair of class-action lawsuits regarding their involvement in an alleged bread price-fixing scheme.