Three swimmers from St. Albert dove head first into training for the Special Olympics Canadian National Summer Games this month. Connor Bissett, Michelle Tschetter and Christian Ziegler are looking to get Team Alberta some hardware in Medicine Hat this week. The training consists of minimum two times per week in the pool, gym time and walks. Special Olympics Canada is an organization that aims to give athletes with intellectual disabilities a space to compete at their best, hosting the World Games on a four-year cycle like the Olympics or Paralympics. Tschetter, whose performance on Tuesday will be her third at the Special Olympics, says she’s a pro by now. “It’s awesome. The coaches are awesome, the teammates are awesome. I can’t wait to compete with them,” she said during a final training session last week. In the home stretch, she’s feeling “nervous” but “excited” to have her family come support her. She also says all her worries tend to float away once she’s in the water. “If I do win, and I come home with a lot of medals, then my goal is to go to Worlds.” Bissett, who is expected to compete in the Worlds next year, trains up to six times a week with other swim clubs. His focus has earned him Team Alberta’s “fitness captain” role. And Ziegler, who will be making his Special Olympics debut this week, says he’s happy to learn and talk to his teammates. His game plan is to “swim fast like Spider-Man.” “They have all worked exceptionally hard over this last year, getting better at their strokes, starts, turns, working as a team, relays, putting in 110-per-cent effort and never hesitating to do what’s needed,” coach Heather Wilson said of the team. Her connection with each athlete – and watching them celebrate after the games with their families – is why she coaches. “It fills me with joy to have the honour to be their coach, their confidant and their biggest supporter. They’re like family. We’re all really close and help each other out.” It’s also a personal connection that brings her closer to the memory of her son, Matthew. “The reason I got involved with the Special Olympics is to pay back to the community. I had a special needs child, and unfortunately he passed away. So this is my way to give back and honour his memory.” The Medicine Hat 2026 Special Olympics begin Tuesday and run through Saturday. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Connor Hogg
