Two Special Olympians with roots in Surrey will skate into the spotlight of a cross-Canada tour this fall.
Marc Theriault and Alexandra Magee are among Special Olympics athletes invited to perform during Rock the Rink skating shows that will feature Olympic gold-medalists Scott Moir, Tessa Virtue and Patrick Chan.
At each stop on the 31-city tour, an individual with an intellectual disability will skate solo during the show, in a partnership with Special Olympics Canada. The news is posted to specialolympics.ca.
Theriault will skate at Abbotsford Centre on Oct. 5, while Magee will perform at Penticton’s South Okanagan Events Centre on Oct. 6. Other B.C.-based Special Olympians invited to perform on the tour include Vancouver’s Alexander Pang (at UBC’s Thunderbird Arena on Oct. 7) and Dawson Creek resident Darlene Jakubowski (at her city’s Encana Events Centre on Oct. 11 and 12).
“It’s an honour to be able to share the stage with all of the phenomenal Special Olympics athletes who will be performing in Rock the Rink this year,” Moir said about the partnership.
A former Surrey resident, Theriault now lives in North Delta and is a decade-long Special Olympics athlete in multiple sports. In 2018 he was inducted into Special Olympics B.C.’s Hall of Fame.
As for Magee, she once called Surrey home but has lived in Kelowna for the past few years, according to Megan Pollock, communications manager for Special Olympics British Columbia.
Moir, Virtue and Chan are members of Special Olympics Canada’s Champions Network, described as “a dedicated group of Canadian Olympians, professional athletes and celebrities who support and promote the movement and the transformative power of sport it brings to Canadian children, youth and adults with an intellectual disability.”
According to the website post, the trio of skaters were inspired to include Special Olympics athletes in Rock the Rink after attending the 2018 Special Olympics Canada National Awards Night, an annual event that honours athletes, coaches, volunteers and supporters from across the country.
The Rock the Rink tour will also feature figure skaters Elvis Stojko, Kaetlyn Osmond, Jeremy Abbott and Carolina Kostner. Tour details are posted at rocktherink.com.
RELATED: Surrey Special Olympians on podium at World Games.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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