Latest news with #OntarioSummerGames
Ottawa Citizen
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Ottawa Citizen
Headrick heads East: Garden River forward commits to UNB Reds
Mya Headrick of Garden River First Nation is taking the next stride in her hockey and academic career—committing to the University of New Brunswick for the 2025-2026 women's hockey season. Article content The 20-year-old forward, who spent the past three years playing NCAA Division I hockey at Bemidji State University in Minnesota, is following in the footsteps of her biggest inspiration, her older sister, who spent two seasons at the Fredericton university. Article content Article content Mya is currently studying kinesiology, with hopes of going to medical school to become a doctor. She told the Sault Star she thinks that going to UNB will support her aspirations in hockey and academics. Article content Article content But, no matter how far Mya's hockey career takes her from Garden River, her ultimate goal is to return to her community. Article content 'If I do end up getting into med school, I'd want to come back and give back to my community, make it more accessible,' said Mya. Her 'big picture goal' is to open a doctor's office in Garden River. Article content Her path has taken her from Northern Ontario to Toronto, the U.S., and now the Maritimes. At just 14, she moved from Sault Ste. Marie to Sudbury to join a travel team and gain more game experience. She later played for the Etobicoke Junior Dolphins, helping them win Ontario's Provincial Women's Hockey League title in 2022, then earned gold with Team Ontario U16 at the 2018 Ontario Summer Games. Article content In Grade 11, she committed to Bemidji State University (NCAA Div. 1), where she has played for the last three years. Article content Article content This past season, Headrick scored one goal and one assist as the Beavers went 6-30-1 (W-L-T) in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Article content The year prior, she served as one of the Beavers' alternate captains and was named to the WCHA's All-Academic Team for a second straight season. Article content Mya describes herself on the ice as a power forward who goes to the hard areas and can score goals. Article content 'I always give my 110%. I'm a very hard worker. I'm very dedicated and passionate. I also think I bring a good, positive attitude, and I'm a pretty good teammate,' said Mya. Article content Moving away at a young age was the catalyst to Mya's success, but also her biggest challenge. Article content 'I had a dream, and that's what had to be done,' said Mya about leaving her friends and family in Garden River and Sault Ste. Marie to pursue hockey at a higher level. Article content Now, Mya looks to the East Coast of Canada to see what she can accomplish next. Article content 'I just felt like UNB was the right fit for me,' she said. 'It's a great academic school. I'm studying kinesiology and I want to go to med school in the future. I think it's a better fit for me to increase my odds of getting in.'
CBC
11-04-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Ontario Summer Games coming to Waterloo region in 2026
Young athletes from across the province will descend on Waterloo region in the summer of 2026 to compete in the Ontario Summer Games. The announcement was made Thursday morning in Waterloo by Ontario's Minister of Sport Neil Lumsden. "Our government is proud to support Waterloo region's bid to host the 2026 Ontario Summer Games, and provide Ontario's athletes with the opportunity to compete with their peers from across the province," said Minister Lumsden. "These games will attract thousands of visitors, driving domestic tourism to the region, boosting the economy and showcasing the fantastic attractions found throughout the area." The government has announced $1.6 million in funding for the games. That money will be used for upgrading and improving the infrastructure of some venues in the region which local organizers plan to mark as a legacy of the games. According to government estimates this sporting event will generate an estimated $6 million in domestic tourism revenue for the Region of Waterloo. Event planning starts now Allister Scorgie is the director of sport hosting at Explore Waterloo Region, and now chair of the organizing committee of the games. He says the preparation for the event starts now. "The most urgent thing that we need to do is bring people and experts in the various fields on board. So bringing in people to do medical and security and transportation management, volunteers, that's the most urgent thing," said Scorgie. "And then this summer we'll start to meet with all the sports." Scorgie says the province's ministry of sport will work with all the provincial sports bodies to decide which teams will take part. But before the sports are decided, Scorgie hopes people in the community will sign up to be a volunteer for the event. "We're going to need a ton of volunteers," said Scorgie. "So anyone that's interested in being involved in the games, if that's with a certain sport, if it's with athlete housing, if you're an athletic therapist and you want to help out with medical, where we're going to need so many hands and so many bodies to help manage such a big event." People interested in volunteering can sign up at the Explore Waterloo Region website on the sport hosting page. The 2026 Ontario Summer Games will be held in Waterloo region from July 30 to Aug. 2. Up to 4,000 youth between the ages of 12 and 18 along with their coaches, managers, families and other sporting officials will travel to the area. The games are held every two years and the Waterloo region version will have 24 sports, including baseball, lacrosse, soccer and rugby.
CBC
31-01-2025
- Sport
- CBC
This Timmins, Ont. athlete is being featured in a national Tim Hortons campaign
A Timmins athlete is the centre of a national Tim Hortons campaign to raise funds for Special Olympics Canada. Julia Romualdi, a Special Olympics athlete who has down syndrome, is featured in the Special Olympics Donuts campaign runs from Jan. 31 to Feb. 2 at Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada. All proceeds from the sale will be donated to Special Olympics programs. For Romualdi, the campaign is more than just promoting a doughnut. It's an opportunity to advocate for inclusion and support the more than 42,000 athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities across Canada. " I first started with the Special Olympics when I was four years old when I started figure skating," Romualdi said. "For me, the campaign is not just about the doughnuts. It's about helping us play, grow and show the world that inclusion makes everything better." The Special Olympics doughnut features a chocolate cake ring with white fondant, colourful sprinkles and whipped topping. The multi-coloured design reflects the values of diversity and inclusion at the core of the Special Olympics movement. "The sprinkles bring joy to everyone," said the athlete. Romualdi's journey as a Special Olympics athlete has taken her across Canada and the world. She has earned multiple medals, including at her first provincial games at the age of 11. This summer, she will compete in the Ontario Summer Games as part of the Special Olympics Ontario soccer team. She also works to bring inclusive sports programs to high schools in Timmins, with the program expanding to local elementary schools this year. Romualdi's involvement with the campaign includes interviews and appearances, including a commercial filmed in Toronto at the Pan Am Centre last November. There, she showcased her talents in basketball, soccer and track and field. "Being part of the commercial was an amazing experience for me to see all the hard work to go right behind making these commercials," she said The partnership with Tim Hortons also supports Special Olympics Canada's youth programs, such as FUNdamentals and Active Start, which help children with intellectual disabilities develop motor and sports skills in a fun and positive environment. These programs foster physical fitness, courage, joy, skills, and lasting friendships. "Tim Hortons has been an incredible partner to our movement, and their continued support means so much to the more than 42,000 Special Olympics athletes across Canada and their families," said Gail Hamamoto, CEO of Special Olympics Canada. "This partnership is a reminder of how powerful inclusion can be when communities come together." Romualdi's family is equally proud of her involvement in the campaign. Her mother, Karen, expressed immense pride in her daughter's achievements. "I went looking for her and I took my mother. We found Julia and I got out of the car in a snowstorm to take a picture of Julia's image," she said. "It's really about bringing awareness to a new generation of kids with intellectual disabilities and about growing awareness for the Special Olympics. And that's what we're all about." For Romualdi, the campaign represents a milestone in her journey as both an athlete and an advocate for people with intellectual disabilities.
