The long-awaited 2025 Ontario Special Olympics Summer Games took place from Thursday, July 10 to Saturday, July 12, 2025.
Hosted by Brantford Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and Six Nations Police Service, nearly 1,000 athletes descended upon the Brantford-Brant region to compete in five different sports including: athletics, soccer, bocce, golf and softball.
Despite the sweltering heat and a condensed day of events on Saturday, the athletes could be seen giving it their all as they competed throughout the two days.
Over at the Kiwanis Field in Brantford, competitors participated in a variety of athletic track events. From shotput to javelin, high jump, long jump, standing long jump, 400m race, 110m hurdle, a pentathlon and more, there were plenty of opportunities for athletes to shine.
Also taking place in Brantford were the golf events at Walter Gretzky Municipal Golf Course and the soccer events where 17 different teams battled it out on the fields at the John Wright Soccer Complex.
This year’s games represented the first time Level 5 golf, which featured 18 rounds, took place at the provincial level, as well as the first all women’s soccer division.
Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, mentioned that it was “encouraging to see the continued evolution of accessibility in sport,” during the opening ceremonies on Thursday, July 10.
In Paris at the Green Lane Sports Complex, 18 softball teams, which were divided into four divisions, took turns racing around the diamonds in an effort to bring home a medal.
To round off all the events, men and women spent the entirety of Friday and Saturday competing in games of bocce at the Six Nations Recreation Complex in Ohsweken.
Following Saturday’s finals, athletes attended the various awards ceremonies and many of the athletes were later seen proudly sporting their medals during the closing ceremonies in the evening.
At the closing event, Jennifer Sywyk, a Brantford softball athlete, stood to address her fellow athletes, saying the weekend wasn’t to be measured by just their successes, but the memories and the connections they made.
“Brantford, we showed up, competed hard, and walked away with medals galore. We made memories, experienced both the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, but this weekend wasn’t just for medals, it was to celebrate people; I think everyone would agree, us athletes were treated like rock stars,” said Sywyk. “To our family, friends and supporters, thank you for cheering us on and giving hugs when needed. …Last, but not least, to my teammates, I love you; This weekend, we came together to show Brantford strong. To our coaches, it’s been a journey, and without you, we wouldn’t be here today. Now… let’s party!”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
