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
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn’t over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball’s highest scorer Caitlin Clark’s first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
U.S. vetoes a widely supported UN resolution backing full membership for Palestine
The United States has vetoed a widely backed UN resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for the state of Palestine.
Grandparent scam suspects had ties to Italian organized crime, police allege
A group of suspects that allegedly defrauded seniors across Ontario and other parts of Canada using a so-called emergency grandparent scam appear to have ties to 'Italian traditional organized crime,' according to an investigator involved in the OPP-led probe.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Cat found on Toronto Pearson airport runway 3 days after going missing
Kevin the cat has been reunited with his family after enduring a harrowing three-day ordeal while lost at Toronto Pearson International Airport earlier this week.
N.L. gardening store revives 19th century seed-packing machine
Technology from the 19th century has been brought out of retirement at a Newfoundland gardening store, as staff look for all the help they can get to fill orders during a busy season.