Kelowna athlete, Katarina Gerhardt earned a bronze medal in singles bocce during the Special Olympics for Team B.C. 2018 in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
Gerhardt was one of 243 members of Team B.C., made up of 174 athletes with intellectual disabilities, 54 coaches, and 15 mission staff members, representing 38 communities across the province, earning more than 220 medals.
“It was great, it was a lot of fun playing with my teammates and playing with all the other people,” Gerhardt said. “I have done this a few times before, but it was great representing team B.C.”
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With tears in her eyes, Gerhardt and her mother, Joan Gerhardt, reminisced about when Katarina was presented the bronze.
“She worked so hard for this, it’s just really a wonderful feeling. They practiced leading up to this for the last three years. There was some fear having to go down and compete as a single and not part of a team. But to accomplish this goal as a single, we were very proud. It’s great,” said Joan, who cheered her on along with Katarina’s sister and aunt.
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Gerhardt has competed before in nationals and in the international games, and looks forward to competing again.
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“Team B.C. athletes did a fantastic job at the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Summer Games,” said Leslie Thornley, Team B.C. 2018 Chef de Mission in a press release. “These athletes trained hard to prepare for this event and we are extremely proud of how they represented their province. It was very exciting to see them impress spectators from across Canada with their abilities and sportsmanship.”
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