Special Olympics BC Team
The Nelson Special Olympics Team is looking for volunteers for the 25/26 season. If you are interested in helping out, please contact .
Since 1980, Special Olympics BC has been committed to enriching the lives of individuals with intellectual disabilities and, in turn, the lives of their family members, friends and everyone they’ve touched. Today Special Olympics BC provides high-quality year-round sport programs and competitions that help people with intellectual disabilities celebrate personal achievement and gain confidence, skills, and friendships. There are now more than 3,200 Special Olympics athletes of all ages and a wide range of ability levels participating in year-round programs in 55 communities around BC, supported by more than 1,800 dedicated volunteers.
Jemma Rezansoff
Jemma was born during the Canada Day fireworks in 1996, a fitting start for someone so colorful, joyful, and ready to celebrate others.
She began skiing as a child at WH20 with the TASK program, learning to trust the slopes with her dad, Hal, and longtime ski buddies Mike and Deb.
As soon as the snow melts, Jemma starts asking when the chairlift will return. Skiing gives her confidence and focus, and her favourite part of each run is hunting for “the bumps” for a laugh and a thrill.
Jemma is a proud Special Olympics BC athlete, and having Special Olympics at Whitewater brings her closer to her home community, her friends, and her Sunday ski race training. Friendship, participation, inclusion, and community define Jemma’s life, and Special Olympics and WH20 are truly the perfect place for her.
Lily Nay
Lily, known locally as “Lily of the Lake” for her annual swim across Kootenay Lake is a dedicated athlete who swims daily, hikes and weight trains with passion and purpose. She’s a determined beginner skier - focused and always pushing her boundaries!
Kingsley Deighton
Shredding, hitting jumps, and making friends since 2017, Kingsley has grown up skiing at Whitewater Ski Hill. In the past couple of years, he’s proudly worn the blue jacket of Special Olympics, embracing every bump and turn. Huge thanks to Whitewater for providing outstanding Snow School instructors and for their generous support of the Special Olympics program.
Christopher Poer
Christopher Poer is 18 years old with down syndrome and will be attending JVH in Kaslo for 12th Grade.
He is fond of busking with his violin on the Front St. corner of Kaslo' s main street, and he has performed for four consecutive years in The Kaslo Shakespeare Festival's annual productions of a play by William Shakespeare.