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Hollingsworth to speak at Special Olympics breakfast

Jun 6, 2018 | 9:41 AM

Mellisa Hollingsworth, Olympic Bronze medalist in Skeleton will be the guest speaker at the 12th annual Special Olympics Red Deer Celebrity Breakfast.

The breakfast takes place Wednesday June 20 starting at 7:30 a.m. in the Harvest Centre at Westerner Park.

This annual event raises funds in support of over 300 individuals in Red Deer and District who have intellectual disabilities.  Money raised goes toward equipment, uniforms, facility rental, transportation costs and volunteer recruitment and training.

Hollingsworth grew on a ranch near Eckville and spent plenty of time riding horses and competing in barrel racing before making Skeleton her sport of choice.

She considered quitting the sport when she wasn’t named to the 2002 Canadian Olympic Team but stuck with the sport until an incredible hot streak during the 2006 World Cup season earned her a spot at the Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy where she won bronze.

Hollingsworth finished fifth at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver and competed in Sochi in 2014 before retiring.

She currently is a realtor, a broadcaster for CBC during the Calgary Stampede and most recently a dancer for this season’s Sheraton Celebrity Dance Off raising funds for the 2019 Canada Winter Games Celebration Plaza.