North

Northern athletes win a record number of medals at Special Olympics Winter Games

Five Yukon athletes and one from the N.W.T. are coming home with a total of 12 medals from Special Olympics in Corner Brook, N.L.

Competitors from Yukon, N.W.T., pick up a dozen medals at Corner Brook, N.L., games

Members of Yukon's Special Olympics team pose with the medals they won at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook, N.L., last week. (Facebook)

Team Yukon is bring home a record number of medals from the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook, N.L.

The three cross-country skiers and two figure skaters won a combined eight medals, five gold, two silver and one bronze:

Ernest Chau cross-country skiing  gold silver
Darby McIntyre  cross-country skiing gold silver
Owen Munroe cross-country skiing gold bronze
Tijana McCarthy figure skating gold
Michael Sumner figure skating gold
Cynthia Simmons holds the two medals she won at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2013. (Facebook)
"They did fantastic," said Serge Michaud, the executive director of Special  Olympics Yukon.

"Our athletes never cease to amaze us. Every event our athletes were registered in, they won a medal in and we couldn't be more excited about how well prepared the team was in anticipation of these games."

Cynthia Simmons was the only athlete to represent the N.W.T. in Corner Brook. The 18-year old speedskater won four gold medals at the competition.

Northern athletes should know if they have qualified to be part of Team Canada by this summer.  That team will compete in the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Austria in 2017.