A North Bay teen has been recognized by Special Olympics Ontario as the Unified Partner of the Year.
Hannah Lyons, a grade 12 student at West Ferris Secondary School has been involved as a Unified Partner for two years.
"Now in her third year, she has worked in many aspects of Unified Sports, whether as an athlete or assisting in coaching," Special Olympics Ontario stated on social media.
"She is extremely well-liked and respected by all Special Olympic athletes and teaching staff. Hannah's selfless dedication and unwavering support have left a lasting impact on our Special Olympic athletes."
Unified Sports is described as "joining people with and without intellectual disabilities on the same team. It was inspired by a simple principle: training together and playing together is a quick path to friendship and understanding."
In Unified Sports, teams are made up of people of similar age and ability.
"During this year's School Special Olympics programs, Hannah's goal was to make all her team shine in the spotlight, not by scoring goals herself, but by setting up her teammates so they could score which in turn boosted their confidence in the sport," Special Olympics Ontario continued.
"Playing as a Unified Partner was never about winning, but showing good sportsmanship, encouragement and sharing as many laughs as she could."
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Hannah Lyons' passion for helping in the Special Olympics comes from the relationship she had with her brother Jack Lyons, who sadly passed away in April 2022 at the age of 17.
"At a very young age, Hannah could be seen at every district swim and track meet, either cheering on her older brother who competed in Special Olympics or even holding his hand and running the 50 M race with him, " Special Olympics Ontario added.
But her brother's Jacks passing did not stop her from continuing to give back to Special Olympics.
"Not only does she participate as a Best Buddy at school and a unified athlete, she is now coming out as an assistant coach at the local community level," Special Olympics Ontario added.
