Watch out, world, here comes Raymond Bedard.
The Fort Frances resident will be one of 58 athletes sporting Canada’s colours when he leaves this Friday for Dublin, Ireland to compete in the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games on June 20-29.
Bedard qualified at last year’s national championships in the 50m and 200m dashes, as well as the running long jump and shot put. He was one of 16 track and field athletes out of a possible 800 to make Team Canada’s roster.
Since athletes only are allowed to compete in two individual and one relay event at the World Games, Bedard has opted to go with the 200m dash and the running long jump.
The 44-year-old, with the help of coach Cindy Baker, has been training religiously three times a week in preparation for the World Games, which will feature roughly 7,000 athletes from 160 countries participating in 18 events, making it the largest sporting event in the world this year.
More than 500,000 people are expected to attend as spectators.
“Athletes like Raymond from every province across the country, who have dreamed of competing at the world level and trained for a long time to get there, will make our country proud,” Jim Jordan, president of Special Olympics Canada president, said in a press release issued Monday night.
“What’s refreshing is that these Games are about people participating in sport for the pure thrill of competition, and our athletes have worked incredibly hard for the opportunity to represent Canada in Dublin,” he added.
Bedard has been involved in Special Olympics for the past four years, taking part in events such as curling, five-pin bowling, softball, and floor hockey besides track and field.
The whole Canadian contingent’s travel plans were in jeopardy last week when the Irish government said it wouldn’t allow any visitors leaving from Toronto to enter their country due to SARS-related concerns.
But negotiations over the weekend between the Canadian and Irish governments, as well as the Canadian Embassy in Ireland, saw a resolution to the dispute that still will see the Canadian team leave from Toronto this Sunday as originally scheduled.
However, Monday’s press release noted the move came too late to save Special Olympics Canada the loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the cancellation of a Team Canada Send-Off Gala and Fundraiser that was planned to be held in Toronto this Saturday.
The opening ceremonies June 21 in Dublin will be a star-studded affair, with former South African president Nelson Mandela leading the event and legendary Irish rock group U2 performing live.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
