'Exceeded our expectations,' says chair of Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook

Despite some challenging weather, organizers say the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Corner Brook were a big success.

The games wrapped up Saturday, after a week of competition with athletes from across the country.

• Final day for Special Olympics in Corner Brook

"Our whole Games organizing committee is feeling pretty good about the Games and how they went," said chair Len Moores.

"In many ways they've exceeded our expectations right from the very beginning of opening ceremonies, with all the energy that was created from those opening ceremonies, and that just continued on through out the week."

It was phenomenal … it was a special time there for me.- Johnny Byrne

The games faced some weather challenges, with rain cancelling some outdoor events Thursday, but Moores said an extra day was added to make up for delays.

It was the power of the volunteers that kept things moving, Moores said, and made sure the athletes had a great experience.

"We had planned that we might lose a day of weather for snow, but not necessarily for rain," said Moores.

"We needed support over at the cross-country ski club and I'm told 60 to 70 volunteers came forward to shovel snow back onto the course."

After months of preparation, Moores said he was quite pleased with how everything went.

"It was smoother than we anticipated … and it was interesting to see all of our discussions and our notes on paper, actually start to come alive," he said.

'World class'

Johnny Byrne, originally from Newfoundland and Labrador but now with Special Olympics Alberta, said his team raved about the hospitality they experienced in Corner Brook.

Byrne praised Moores and the other event organizers for a great week of competition.

In many ways they've exceeded our expectations right from the very beginning.- Len Moores

"The pride of hosting in western Newfoundland shone through … that's what you want to see because there's all those things that when you come to a place like that, you want people to be proud of the culture and you want people to see that," Byrne told CBC's Corner Brook Morning Show.

"It was phenomenal … it was a special time there for me. It was just outstanding."

The Games can be both emotional and fun for athletes, Byrne said, adding organizers provided "amazing venues, great schedules and a positive environment."

Even the rain couldn't dampen the spirits of the team, he added.

"Sport is always first and ... there was such doubt on that day, it was like, 'Oh no, it's raining, are we going to lose all that sport?'" said Byrne.

"It's the volunteers just sticking in there, just saying, 'This is not going to turn these Games back,' and it was just amazing how that next day you went out to those venues and it was world class."

Byrne said a platform like the Special Olympics is much more than just a national competition, and is a "true highlight of the athletes."

"We're going back home and we're going to be active in the community, so that we can give people with intellectual disabilities that chance."