Hundreds of athletes and coaches have returned home following the Special Olympics Summer Games in Alberta, including a very successful Team Nova Scotia. The Nova Scotian athletes were able to secure a total of 56 medals. That includes 14 bronze, 20 silver, and 22 gold medals. Among the gold medalists was Nova Scotian Josh Rafuse, who secured the top spot in four running events including the 100m, 200m, 400m, and the 4x100 relay. “It was crazy. The atmosphere and having the team built around what you love to do most, and then coming out and showing other provinces just because you have a small team doesn’t mean you can’t come out with something bigger,” said Rafuse in an interview with CTV Atlantic Suzette Belliveau. Michael Greek, president and CEO of Special Olympics Nova Scotia said he’s more than proud of the province’s performance. “Successful in so many ways, on the pitch, on the track, our powerlifter came home with four golds, but one of the proudest things was that we were recognized as one of the nicest, and politest, and people just kept saying how great our athletes were as people and while the medals are certainly shiny and amazing, that’s just as important,” he said. “I guess the pride just swells up, and I can’t help but think about the coaching, the training, and the volunteers that go into making that happen. We have coaches out there three, four, five times a week using their expertise to train these athletes.” As for Rafuse, he says he hopes to attend the 2027 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Santiago, Chile. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
