PRINCE ALBERT — A Prince Albert man wins a gold medal in a bocce ball competition in Regina, earning him a spot at the national Special Olympics bocce ball competition in Medicine Hat, Alta. next year.
“It was really intense. It was against an opponent that was really, really tough, but there were times when I was up five nothing. Then there was a time when he was only one point behind me and I just took the last shot to make the score seven to five because the games go up to 12 and there is a 25-minute time limit,” said Special Olympics athlete Tanner Svenson.
Approximately 50 athletes from around the province competed in the Regina competition July 13 – 15, 2024.
Svenson, 22, also competes in Special Olympics bowling, floor hockey, and basketball, but says bocce has brought him the most satisfaction.
“At first it was kind of a fun thing to do to pass the time in the summer, but then, realizing that I could go worlds to compete, I decided to stick with it and practise,” said Svenson.
He says his coaches, dad, and brother Zach Svenson have been his biggest supporters and training partners who have helped him become a better bocce ball player.
The Saskatchewan Special Olympics board chairperson, Laurie Carpenter, attended the latest competition in Regina and says she’s proud of Svenson and all the athletes who competed.
“It’s a great sense of achievement for athletes,” said Carpenter. “They're like everybody else. They understand what gold, silver, and bronze mean. Some of them are very competitive. But in the end, a lot of them just like to go participate in the sports, being involved with a competition and see their friends and then partake in their success.”
She says winning a medal is a high point in the lives for many of the athletes. Special Olympics started as a way to encourage Down Syndrome adults to compete in sports and integrate into society and has grown to encompass people who have cognitive and some physical disabilities as well.
“Tanner is more high-functioning than some of our athletes are, and this is not his first gold. He has won first before at a tournament so for him, yes, I’m very happy but not surprised, as he is very outgoing. And his parents were very proud of him as well,” said Carpenter.
Svenson was Athlete of the Year for the Special Olympics June 2024. He was also one of two Special Olympic athletes in North America chosen to participate in a six-month training course to improve his skills in media, interviewing, communication, marketing, writing, and storytelling.
Bocce ball is played between two opponents or teams with four bocce balls that are differentiated by colour. The goal of the game is to roll your team’s bocce balls closer to the pallino - the smaller target ball - than the other team’s bocce balls. Each frame is played from one side of the court and begins with the pallino being rolled into play on the court.
https://www.specialolympics.ca/saskatchewan/who-we-are/our-team/
