Dreams come true as Special O athletes meet Disney stars
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/02/2019 (2138 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Special Olympics Manitoba athlete Ben Purvis had a feeling he was going to meet someone special at a skate date with members of the Disney On Ice cast today at the Bell MTS Iceplex.
“Maybe Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse, but my dad hopes we get to see Olaf the snowman,” said Purvis, 13, as he waited, clad in helmet and skates, to take the ice on the Assiniboia rink.
He was right the first time as Mickey and Minnie, the stars of the Disney On Ice show who were to perform tonight in Winnipeg, skated out to join Purvis and four other Special Olympics Manitoba athletes for some hugs, photos and skating.
The Special Olympics Manitoba athletes were Disney’s special guests at the encounter which featured six Disney On Ice cast members joining the Special O athletes to showcase skating moves, practice some skating drills and just have some fun.
The Disney On Ice crew included host Michelle Fee.
“Disney is all about creating magic and memorable experiences for everyone. To be able to work with a group like the Special Olympics, I honestly didn’t see myself having an opportunity like this until I joined Disney,” said Fee, a Florida native.
Ruth Joseph, a Special Olympics athlete since she was 12 years old, demonstrated her backward crossovers and got an enthusiastic high-five from Fee.
Joseph said she was excited to get back on the ice; she hasn’t been in figure skating for the past three years because the Special O program does not have a coach.
“I love skating. I love to do jumps, waltz jumps, toe loops, axels. I’m so excited,” said Joseph, 32, who along with her mother, Susan Cearns, had just spent Christmas at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. She said Pocahontas is her favourite Disney princess.
Melissa Suggitt, the manager of regional relations for Special Olympics Manitoba, said she was contacted by the local publicity company that works with Disney on Ice, Karen Ilchena Communications, and jumped at the opportunity to have Special O athletes participate in the skate date with some of the show’s stars.
“I was absolutely blown away that Disney was interested in doing this with us. It shows a lot about how we’ve grown over the years that it’s nice to see something as big as Disney wanting to do something with our athletes,” Suggitt said. “It makes them feel included and special but gives them the opportunity to show they’re just like everyone else. the can compete with the best of them and they love Disney, too. Some of them showed up a Disney book, a bag. They’re just all so excited.”
Each athlete received a family pass for tonight’s show at the Bell MTS Place and a gift bag containing Disney on Ice souvenirs.
ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca
Ruth Bonneville
Photojournalist
As the first female photographer hired by the Winnipeg Free Press, Ruth has been an inspiration and a mentor to other women in the male-dominated field of photojournalism for over two decades.
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