SURREY Police Service (SPS) and Special Olympics BC (SOBC) – Surrey have partnered to deliver “Club Fit Fridays” in Surrey for SOBC athletes aged 12 and up who have intellectual disabilities.
Club Fit is a Special Olympics fitness program designed specifically for Special Olympics athletes of varying skill levels to improve their health and fitness.
SPS Sgt. Dale Quiring is the lead coach for the new Surrey-based sessions, and Constable Miriam Michel is the co-coach. Quiring leads the SPS Community 1st Unit, which supports meaningful and long-term engagement with the community. The Community 1st officers have a particular focus on building relationships with vulnerable individuals to ensure that SPS is listening to all voices in the community they serve.
Club Fit Fridays, which began in November 2023, has brought back this SOBC program that had been inactive for several years in Surrey. Now, with this positive partnership in place, 8-15 participants are able to build muscle and self-confidence in a fun group setting each week. The one-hour sessions have proved to be beneficial to the instructors and participants alike, with all showing increased confidence, self-esteem, and fitness levels.
“We are grateful for Surrey Police Service’s support of Special Olympics BC,” says Special Olympics BC President and CEO, Dan Howe. “Seeing their strong relationship with SOBC–Surrey through their involvement with our Club Fit program and fundraising events means so much to the athletes. It gives them an empowering opportunity to find inclusion, friendship, and fitness through sport.”
“We are so pleased to have this partnership with Special Olympics BC. As Surrey’s new police service, it is critically important that our police officers connect with the many diverse communities we serve in a manner that makes them feel comfortable and supported,” says Surrey Police Service Chief Constable Norm Lipinski. “Facilitating opportunities for these dedicated athletes is a tremendous cause and we appreciate the opportunity to work with them.”
Find more information about SOBC–Surrey at www.specialolympics.ca/british-columbia/communities/surrey.
For more information on Surrey Police Service’s Community 1st Unit, visit www.surreypolice.ca/C1.
