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New Special Olympics chapter starts up in Labrador West

Western Labrador now has its own Special Olympics chapter, and participants are eager to get going.

Meetings are on Wednesdays

The Labrador West Special Olympics chapter hopes to compete with Happy Valley-Goose Bay's Special Olympics club. (Junior Humphries)

When Junior Humphries brought his grandson with cerebral palsy to summer camp a couple years ago and heard other campers and guardians gush about the Special Olympics, the deputy mayor of Labrador City got to work on a chapter for Labrador West.

The first official meeting took place Wednesday night.

Eager athletes 

"We had kids that were asking their parents, 'When is the next time we're going? … Can we go tomorrow night?'" Humphries told CBC's Labrador Morning.

Junior Humphries hopes there'll be about 20 athletes in the Labrador West Special Olympics chapter in four to five months. (labradorwest.com)

The group plans to get together every Wednesday for activities and, once a month, try different sports like bowling, swimming and skiing.

"Seems to be a lot of interest in the athletes here," Humphries said adding his eight-year-old grandson "comes out of himself" when he plays sports.

"I think every kid, no matter what, deserves a chance to partake in the Games," he said.

Competition in Labrador

I think every kid, no matter what, deserves a chance to partake in the Games.- Junior Humphries

Acting as the club co-ordinator for Labrador West, Humphries hopes to grow the group to around 20 participants over the next four or five months.

He also plans to compete against the Special Olympics team in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.