Marathon of sport brings athletes of all kinds to compete for a good cause
Athletes of all abilities headed to the Edmonton Expo Centre Saturday to compete and raise some cash at the sixth annual Marathon of Sport.
The one-day inclusive multi-sport tournament is a fundraising and community engagement event by Motionball. Special Olympic athletes are paired with teams of fundraisers to compete and raise money for the Special Olympics Canada Foundation.
Celeste Soete, volunteer event director, said around 160 people were out Saturday to enjoy a day of sports. She added that there is always a wide variety of sports to play for all levels of ability and athleticism.
In addition to more conventional sports like floor hockey, volleyball, basketball and soccer, there were also some alternative options – like bench ball and human foosball.
"I'm the first to admit, most of these sports I'm pretty bad at," she said. "That's the cool part about this event, that it's based around inclusion. So it's meant to be an event that anybody can participate in."
"People are just here to have fun, celebrate inclusion, build a more inclusive sporting community and just kind of show off how talented our special olympic athletes are."
Motionball is a national organization dedicated to raising money and awareness through events focused on special athletes, and the Edmonton chapter has raised over $280,000 for the Special Olympics Foundation since 2017.
"It's something that we really look forward to," said Nick Mohr, who has been bringing a team all six years that the event has run. He added that it's a great day of sport and the opportunity to compete alongside – and against – Special Olympic Athletes.
"They're intense, so it's a lot of fun," he said. "They definitely don't take it easy on us."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.