(L-R) Team Canada Speedskater Maddison Pearman and Special Olympics athlete Thomasina Payne, both guest speakers at the 14th Annual Celebrity Breakfast on Wednesday. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

By Alessia Proietti

Thomasina Payne and Maddison Pearman

Athletes share journeys of long-term commitment at Special Olympics breakfast

Jun 15, 2022 | 2:09 PM

Athletes gathered for Special Olympics Red Deer’s 14^th annual Celebrity Breakfast on Wednesday, celebrating the journey of long-term commitment so many athletes have made to their sport throughout the past few difficult years.

After a two year hiatus, nearly 250 people gathered on June 15 at Westerner Park’s Harvest Centre, including Red Deer Mayor Ken Johnston and Councillor Dianne Wyntjes. Roughly $8,000 was raised for the organization, according to Chairman Jerry Tennant.

First to speak was Thomasina Payne, Red Deer multi-sport athlete in curling, speedskating and athletics who has won numerous medals on the the local and international stage, including two gold in running for Team Canada Special Olympics at the 2011 World Summer Games in Greece.

READ MORE: Red Deer wins big at Special Olympics National Awards Night

Chosen in December 2020 for the national training squad for the World Winter Games, the pandemic cut her training short ahead of 2022.

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Already pushed back a year due to Omicron, the Special Olympics World Winter Games scheduled for Kazan, Russia were ultimately cancelled outright due to the Ukraine-Russia war.

Payne emotionally described her disappointment, however, the young woman known by her coaches for her sportsmanship and perseverance, recommitted to her craft despite the uncertain times.

Special Olympics athlete Thomasina Payne gives a speech at the 14th Annual Celebrity Breakfast at Westerner Park’s Harvest Centre on June 15. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti)

Payne described training virtually and shoveling snow off Red Deer’s Bower Ponds to have a place to skate.

“Special Olympics Canada was very proud of all of us for our long-term commitment. We are now known as the longest Team Canada training squad,” she said jokingly before receiving a standing ovation.

After 546 days of remote training, Payne was finally able to meet her squad for the first time this June at training camp in Toronto.

That positive attitude from Payne and other Special Olympics athletes is what celebrity guest speaker, Team Canada speedskater Maddison Pearman, said was infectious on her own Olympic journey.

The 26-year-old from Ponoka began the sport at the age of five, later competing in multiple championships including Junior and Senior World Cups, Four Continents Championships and more.

Prepared for the 2018 Olympics from vigorous training, Pearman described the struggles of not making the team, followed by a series of concurrent deaths in the family.

However, Pearman said the motto of “keeping the drive alive” returned.

Needing volunteer hours to graduate in her Bachelors of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary, Pearman followed in her mother’s footsteps of coaching Special Olympics athletes in 2018.

“They’re just always so incredibly positive in everything that they do,” she said, noting their encouragement for her own athletic career. “That just helped me look at training and life a little bit differently and have a different perspective on things.”

It was hearing Payne’s acceptance speech in 2021 for Special Olympic Canada’s Female Athlete of the Year, on perseverance through rejection, that inspired Pearman to give it her all at a speedskating competition in Salt Lake City, Utah the following day.

“Channeling her inner Thomasina” as she says, Pearman completed her personal best record at the time with a 1.14,67 clocking in the 1,000 metre race. This result and others qualified Pearman for the 2022 Team Canada Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

READ MORE: Ponoka speed skater Maddison Pearman wraps up Olympic competition

Pearman says she is looking to potentially continue working with Special Olympic athletes throughout her career.

Special Olympics is a non-profit organization providing sport and social opportunities for individuals with an intellectual disability. Funds raised go towards uniform and equipment, facility, transportation, accommodation, volunteer training and administration costs in supporting Red Deer’s 300 Special Olympics athletes taking part in 13 sports.