Two medals for a Special Olympics athlete from Greater Moncton.
Jonathan Henry recently attended the World Special Olympics Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
He won two bronze in speedskating, but the 500-metre race didn’t come easily.
“There was a pick in the ice, and I went down and busted my chin. The doctor fixed me up and then I went back out on the ice again and finished the race and won the bronze,” Henry told our newsroom.
His mom Shirley Henry told us, the win was extra special because it was in honour of a teammate who passed away, just three days before the team left for staging camp in Toronto before flying to Italy.
“Jonathan found this very difficult as the team was very close-knit. The skaters wore a picture of Jordan and his goals on their lanyards at the games.”
There were around 101 countries at the World Special Olympics Winter Games in Turin, Italy, with just over 1000 athletes.
“The Worlds was a very heartwarming experience not only for the athletes but for the parents. If you saw those athletes out there, skating with determination and passion and pride, and every victory was celebrated, and the sportsmanship was quite impressive,” Shirley expressed.
She adds fans asked for autographs, and he felt like a celebrity, “First time in his career anyone had asked for his autograph.”
Leading up to the Games, Jonathan trained twice a week at the rink, along with working out at the gym and swimming.
He also attended 2 training camps, one in Calgary in December and one in Quebec City in February.
“It was an opportunity for the team to meet and train together,” says his mom.
His mom says Jonathan was an inline skater when they lived in the United States, and when they moved to Canada in 2008, he took to the ice and began using his skills in speedskating.
Jonathan was initially part of Team Canada for the Special Olympics World Winter Games in 2022 to be held in Russia, but the games were cancelled because of the war that broke out. He then had to requalify for the World Team for Italy.
“My experience in Italy was fun and seeing all of my friends again. My favourite part was the competition,” Jonathan said.
Forty-one-year-old Jonathan is also an avid swimmer and curler.
He now has sights and goals set for the Special Olympics Provincial Summer Games to be held in 2025 in Woodstock.
He’ll switch from the ice to the pool, with the hopes of qualifying for the national games in 2026.
From there, the chance to attend the World Special Olympic Summer Games in Chile, which is to be held in 2027.
