Western will host the 2026 Special Olympics Ontario Provincial School Championships next spring. They are the largest multi-sport games for people with intellectual disabilities in Canada.
Christine Stapleton, director of sports and recreation at Western, joined representatives from Special Olympics Ontario, London Police Chief Thai Truong, Mayor Josh Morgan and MPP Teresa Armstrong at the announcement June 17 in Alumni Stadium.
Western’s director of sports and recreation, Christine Stapleton. (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
“Western University is proud to be a partner for these games,” Stapleton said. “We look forward to welcoming all the athletes, families, friends and fans to campus next spring.”
Over 1,000 secondary school athletes and educators from across Ontario and Canada will come together for the 2026 School Championships on May 26 and 27 to compete, connect and celebrate inclusion. Athletes aged 14 to 21 will participate in soccer, bocce, basketball, floorball and track and field events. Western is providing the facilities, including athletic venues and overnight accommodation in residence buildings for the athletes, educators and coaches.
“The partnership with Western is so important for helping us create a full athletic experience for all participants,” said Cody Jansma, Special Olympics Ontario CEO.
“The athletes will build friendships and memories through shared experiences – not only while competing, but also through spending time together in residences and cafeterias, and at the opening and closing ceremonies. They will get the same kind of experience as mainstream athletes do at championship events.”
Legacy of inclusion began with Western alum
Hosting the games continues a long tradition of Western connections to Special Olympics. Western alum and former faculty member Frank Hayden, BA’55, sparked the movement in the early 1960s by challenging the idea that poor physical fitness was inherent in children with intellectual disabilities. His pioneering research revealed a lack of opportunities for physical activity was the true barrier.
Hayden’s insights led to a partnership with the Kennedy Foundation, resulting in the launch of the first Special Olympics Games in 1968. The event grew into a global movement across 177 countries, offering a variety of national and regional programs.
Representatives from five schools took part in the Special Olympics announcement at Western on June 17. Westminster Secondary School student Owen Langdon (right) aspires to participate in the 2026 School Championships coming to Western. (Colleen MacDonald/Western News)
Throughout the 2025-26 school year, more than 10,000 high school athletes will participate in qualifying competitions across the province to earn their place at the Championships. For many of those athletes, it will be their first sporting event away from home, and maybe even their first opportunity to represent a team.
Owen Langdon, a Grade 11 student from Westminster Secondary School in London, Ont. shared some of his experiences at last year’s event in Ottawa. He aspires to compete in floorball and basketball in the upcoming Championships.
“London is a great host for Special Olympics. These events give us a lot of smiles and a chance to meet new people. It creates a better atmosphere where we can compete and have fun. The athletes who come to London will appreciate this a lot.”
Unified sports at Western Special Olympics
Truong and Valerie Nyhout, a Special Olympian who volunteered weekly with Western’s campus recreation team last year, carried the lantern with the flame of hope to the announcement. It symbolizes the transfer of the dignity and inclusion the games represent to the next host community. The Special Olympics program in Ontario is the only one where police services take a lead role in hosting the games, fundraising and awareness through the Law Enforcement Torch Run.
London Police Chief Thai Truong and Special Olympian Valerie Nyhout carry the Special Olympics flame of hope to the announcement that Western will be the host venue for the 2026 Provincial School Championships. (Colleen MacDonald/Western News)
“I am so excited that we get to support the Special Olympics. It’s not just about the games but about supporting people and inclusion and what it means to be a community,” said Truong, honorary chair of the games.
The School Championships that will be hosted at Western are the flagship celebration of the Special Olympics Ontario Unified Champion Schools program, a movement that empowers students to build inclusive school communities through sport. In unified sports, students with and without disabilities play on the same teams in friendly competition that builds respect and belonging on playing fields and beyond.
That commitment to inclusion is well established at Western, which is home to the longest-running intramural unified basketball program in Canada. The School Championships in 2026 will include both traditional and unified events.
Western faculty and students longtime supporters of Special Olympics
During the games, Western will also support the unique needs of Special Olympians by offering free health assessments and education through the Healthy Athletes and Special Smiles programs.
“Dentists, hygienists and assistants, including Western dentistry students, will provide oral screenings for Special Olympians in a no-stress environment,” said Dr. Clive Friedman, one of the clinical directors of Special Smiles and faculty member at Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “Supporting the overall health of athletes goes a long way to ensure they can function at their best.”
Special Olympics Ontario CEO Cody Jansma (Christopher Kindratsky/Western Communications)
The Western Kinesiology Students’ Association has also supported Special Olympics for the last 53 years by running an annual Winter Special Games. In March 2025, Western’s Women’s Basketball Team hosted a Women in Sport Day, in collaboration with Special Olympics Ontario.
Incoming Western students get involved through Orientation Serves for Community Partners (OServes), an orientation week event that fosters civic responsibility. Activities include the OServes motionball event, an afternoon of inclusive sport that gives students a chance to learn more about the Special Olympics mission, interact with local athletes and get involved with motionball Western.
Western’s student-run chapter is part of the national non-profit motionball organization that raises funds and awareness for Special Olympics. Many Western students volunteer throughout the year, making up about half of the local Special Olympics volunteer base.
The School Championships next spring present an opportunity for the entire Western community and area residents to get involved. The games will require between 500 and 600 volunteers to put on the event.
These championships are much more than athletic games, Jansma said, describing the event as an inspirational showcase that promises to leave fans exhilarated.
“Get excited, London – there’s truly nothing more inspiring than seeing the transformative power of Special Olympics right before your own eyes.”
