Team Newfoundland and Labrador will be gathering this weekend (July 27-29) for a training camp in St. John�s to help prepare them for the 2008 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Quebec City. The camp will bring together athletes, coaches, mission staff and training coaches for a series of team building, technical and team development sessions.

This training camp is an integral part of Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador�s (SONL) Provincial Team Program (PTP). This is the second SONL provincial team that has had the benefit of a PTP to help guide and support them throughout their preparation for the National Games.

The first edition of the PTP meant a considerable increase in the organizations budget as the costs of training camps and the majority of expenses associated with games are taken care of by the Provincial Board. The board committed to raising the additional money required to run the program in order to ensure the athletes were prepared to compete to the best of their abilities while representing their province. They felt strongly that athletes with an intellectual disability deserved the same level of training as their counterparts involved in the Canada Games program.

The organization was thrilled with the results of the first edition of the SONL PTP as it saw the provincial team�s 18 athletes return from the 2006 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games with 37 medals and achieving personal bests in 80 per cent of the events they competed in.

The 2008 Provincial Team is comprised of 23 athletes, six coaches and five mission staff that are competing in the sports of cross-country skiing, floor hockey, and snowshoeing. Team members will be traveling to St. John�s from all areas of the province to be part of the camp. Following the weekend they will return home to continue their training and preparation for the national games with the support of their local training coach and monitoring of their provincial team coaches.

The 2008 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games are taking February 26 to March 1 in Quebec City. These national games will bring together over 1,000 athletes, coaches and mission staff from 10 provinces and two territories, competing in seven different sports. From these games, Team Canada will be selected to compete in the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games next February in Boise, Idaho.

Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador is dedicated to enriching the lives of Newfoundlanders and Labradoreans with an intellectual disability through sport.   It is a provincial not-for-profit grassroots organization that provides sport training and competition opportunities for over 450 athletes of all ages and abilities. There are currently 12 community-based clubs that offer sport programs. Through sport Special Olympics offers athletes and families a sense of achievement and an opportunity to excel as they take on leadership roles within their community

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Johnny Byrne
Executive Director
Special Olympics Newfoundland and Labrador
354 Water Street � Suite 426
St. John�s, NL A1C 1C4
709-738-1923, 690-8334
Fax: 709-738-0119
www.sonl.ca

2007 07 26                                                  2:30 p.m.