Hi! I’m Candace-Rose, and I’m part of Team Ontario in Powerlifting. I first got involved through my college program at Canadore College for Strength and Sports Conditioning, where volunteer opportunities allowed me to work with the North Bay Special Olympics team. I had also helped in the life skills program in high school, and I have loved every moment of being a Special Olympics coach ever since.
Special Olympics has given me the opportunity to build my leadership and communication skills, and I’ve made friendships in my home community that will last a lifetime.
One of my proudest moments was running my first unified powerlifting meet, where my Special Olympics athletes cheered everyone on and lifted some of the biggest weights at the meet. My personal biggest achievement as an athlete was benching 60 kg in competition.
I work as a Primary Care Paramedic at the City of Toronto and stay active through coaching and volunteering at events.
Being part of Team Ontario means reaching a level of respect and professionalism as a coach. It also means supporting familiar athletes and meeting new ones, and being part of another team.
My advice? Pick the weight up, put it down, don’t get hurt.