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Special Olympics Ontario/London has a group of athletes who have been trained in the art of public speaking. This group has given dozens of speeches over the past few years to groups throughout London and area.
Our ambassadors include:
Brian Cloney
Brian is one of London’s longest-participating athletes. He has become a team leader in the sports of floor hockey, basketball, soccer, track and field, baseball and golf. He enjoys his work at Angelo’s Bakery and has been married to fellow Special Olympics athlete, Kerry Cloney for 18 years.
Brian and his wife volunteer their time with the Kidney Foundation of Canada and in his spare time, he enjoys watching sporting events, going to movies and dancing. He enjoys seeing his friends regularly through Special Olympics and likes that there is an opportunity to advance in competitions.
Scott Mitchell
Scott Mitchell has been participating in Special Olympics for more than 11 years. The 21 year old excels at both individual and team sports and has already competed provincially in both swimming and soccer. Scott also plays basketball, golf and he bowls. His favourite Special Olympics memory is of winning the Silver medal in the Special Olympics Ontario Windsor Summer Games in July 2009.
Scott enjoys watching hockey, especially the London Knights, playing video games, listening to music and going to see musicals and hanging out with his girlfriend, Valerie Nyhout..
Valerie Nyhout
Twenty-two year-old Valerie Nyhout likes to joke that as a skier with Special Olympics, she has the earliest morning bus trips out of town for competitions but she’ll also add that she wouldn’t miss it for the world. Aside from skiing, Valerie also plays Special Olympics soccer, basketball and golf. She has been a Special Olympics athlete for over 11 years. She was the 2011-2012 Special Olympics Ontario/London Sportsperson of the Year. Her favourite Special Olympics’ memory is of skiing in a snowstorm in the Provincials in Owen Sound and bringing home a medal.
In her spare time, Valerie enjoys travel, kayaking and snowboarding as well as playing video games and watching movies with her boyfriend, Scott.
Scott Tennant
As the 2008-2009 Special Olympics London Sportsperson of the Year, Scott Tennant lives the motto, ‘Winning at Life’. For the last 14 years, Scott has enthusiastically participated in a wide range of sports, including floor hockey, softball, soccer, track and field, bowling and speed skating. His first Special Olympics sport was floor hockey and his skill and love of that game took him all the way to the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho in February 2009. There, Scott and his teammates took home the Silver Medal for Canada. In early 2012, Scott competed in the Special Olympics Canada Winter National Games and brought home the gold medal.
Scott works at Metro and in his spare time enjoys watching hockey and likes to kick back and listen to music.
James Walker
Spend a few moments with James Walker and you quickly learn that sports are a big part of his life. Since 2001, James has been involved with Special Olympics and plays floor hockey, basketball, softball, soccer, golf and does power lifting. James was the Special Olympics Ontario/London Sportsperson of the Year for 2007-2008.
James enjoys his job at Western University Bookstore. In his spare time, James plays ice hockey and enjoys seeing the Western Mustangs and the London Knights hockey teams. James was on the Silver Medal winning Floor Hockey team that represented Canada at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho in February 2009. In early 2012, James competed in the Special Olympics Canada Winter National Games and brought home the gold medal.