Adam Spokes admits he’s not one of those guys who can take off and slam a basketball through the hoop with a two-handed dunk.
But he promises his defensive game might make opponents think twice when they drive to the net with the ball this weekend at the Special Olympics BC Summer Games basketball tournament.
Spokes says his Cariboo North East (Zone 8) team, made up of players from Prince George, Quesnel and Mackenzie, will be ready for whatever the other teams in the province bring to the court at Duchess Park Secondary School. The eight-team tournament starts Friday at 10 a.m.
Spokes was among the first wave of Zone 8 athletes who took part in the Law Enforcement Torch Run this morning, which started at the RCMP detachment on Victoria Street and ended at the CN Centre for a noon-hour barbecue.
He’s not 100 per cent certain his team has what it takes to win the tournament and qualify for the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games next year in Medicine Hat, Alta. But he’s confident they’ve at least got what it takes to make life difficult for one of the teams in the two-day tournament that wraps up Saturday.
“Kelowna (Thompson-Okanagan) is going down,” said Spokes, who has the bulk to back up his words. “I might actually have to tackle a couple of them, it’s my only way. If they hit me and hit the ground and hurt themselves it’s their fault.”
Spokes has been involved in Special Olympics 5-pin bowling and got to the national level in that sport, but he’s new to basketball and he’s never been to a Games competing in a team sport.
“I just started basketball a couple of years ago and I seem to like it,” he said. “My shot is improving, I’ve been working on my two (-point shot) and my layups.
“I’m never going to be the person who leaps through the air and gets a dunk.”
Spokes was feeding off the energy of the athletes involved in the torch procession, the first event of the four-day Summer Games, and he knows the fun is just beginning.
“To tell you the truth, this is just proof on the large stage that all that hard work was worth it,” he said. “Practice is practice, but competition is competition and that’s proving that you’ve actually put in the work. You’re working every day, when you could, and you’re working hard to get those skills together.
“I like being able to play against people of my calibre, or similar, and just seeing what else is out there. I’ve done 5-pin and floorball and I just like meeting people of my level and competing against them.”
Isaac Goudal is zoned in on bocce and he knows where he wants to be on Saturday afternoon once the games are complete — standing on the podium at Rotary Soccer Fields.
“I might win a gold medal," said Goudal, who walked in the torch parade with his mom, Sarah, and dad, Peter. "I’ve been playing bocce a long time."
He qualified for the BC Summer Games last year at the regional event on Burns Lake and that’s where he got to know some of his Zone 8 teammates, who will be competing this weekend in golf, powerlifting, softball, 10-pin bowling, track and field, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer, and swimming.
Having the Games in his hometown is a dream come true.
“All my friends can watch me,” he said.
Isaac, 22, is also a winter sports Special Olympian who competes in curling and snowshoeing, and his skills as a curler come in handy on the bocce field. His dad is his coach and he’s got Isaac throwing lead for the team so they can put the pressure on opponents and set up a big end on the scoreboard.
“He’s really excited about it, his aunt and uncle came up for this yesterday, and for him it’s an opportunity to be with his friends,” said Peter.
“I always say that as soon as high school’s over, there goes your biggest resource for a person with an intellectual disability. There’s not too much else out there. Special Olympics fills that void that is left. At school, you’re developing skills, developing goals, developing friendships, that social aspect, and once that Grade 13 ends there’s not much to keep that going.
“Special Olympics, you get to develop your skills, your friends, your socialization, and he just loves it. It keeps him in shape and he has a lot of fun in it.”
Local organizing committee co-chair Renee McCloskey competed in several BC Summer Games as a waterskier and was chair of that event when Prince George hosted it in 2022, but this is her first time working with Special Olympics and she’s loving it so far. The enthusiasm of the athletes is infectious.
“Probably the best word to summarize it is joy,” said McCloskey. “They’re very serious about the competitions but it’s really about the camaraderie and friendships and it’s really inspiring to be around.
“There’s definitely a distinct personality that comes with being a part of Special Olympics and I think Prince George is in for an inspiring week here. Watching the parade of athletes at the opening ceremonies and getting out to the events and cheering them on, the whole element is going to be something really special.”
The opening ceremony starts Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at CN Centre. Close to 900 athletes and 300 coaches and mission staff from 46 BC communities will participate. Admission is free.
“I really want to encourage people to come out to CN Centre, it’s a chance to welcome athletes and support them and demonstrate how much we care about Special Olympics in Prince George,” said Shirley Bond, the Summer Games' public relations director.
“I had one of the athletes come up to me today and say, ‘Two more sleeps,’ as he’s counting down to his competition, which starts Friday. There are 10 sports and opportunities for the people of Prince George to come out and watch.
“Show up at an event, at a medal ceremony, it means a lot to these athletes. They’ve been working very hard and they’re trying to qualify for the national games next summer.”
More information is available on the Summer Games website, www.sobcgames.ca.
