Local powerlifting athlete to compete in Special Olympics World Games in Germany
Regina’s Aaron Higgins will compete at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany at the end of the month in powerlifting.
“I feel great!” exclaimed Higgins, who will compete in deadlift, squat, and benchpress at his first ever international competition.
“It’s pretty huge, it’s the biggest Special O competition in the world. So it is the pinnacle and peak of the sport pathway,” explained Ben Lozinsky, director of programs for Special Olympics Saskatchewan.
Higgins is among eight athletes from Saskatchewan who will represent Team Canada, which consists of 90 athletes from across the country.
This is the first time since 2018 that the games are taking place due to the pandemic. Normally athletes have to attend nationals and based on scores from that event, can qualify for the international event.
However, this year Higgins was able to compete at local competitions and since he was the best powerlifter in Saskatchewan, he was chosen to go.
“It was a little bittersweet [telling the athletes] because we got to tell them and then we had to tell them to keep a secret for a little bit,” laughed Lozinsky. “It’s awesome and you can tell the excitement. A lot of them put in a ton of work so it’s rewarding.”
Higgins trains four times a week with Tanner Kyle out of Trench Fitness in Regina. The two have worked together since 2019.
“The biggest thing is he’s fun to work with. But when it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty, he’s serious so I don’t have to help him too much,” Kyle said.
“We’re like brothers. It’s definitely fun every day when you spend four hours a week with someone, you get pretty close,” he added.
Higgins, who is described as ‘the life of the party’ by both Kyle and Lozinsky, is excited to take his talents overseas and already has a goal in mind.
“My goal is to squat 500 pounds, 55 bench, or uh maybe about 410,” said Higgins.
“He’s pretty quiet [about the Special Olympics World Games] unless you ask him about it. He’s pretty calm, cool, collected. But I know inside he’s nervous and when the time comes, his demeanour will change. But in here, it’s like he’s not even going. He’s just focused and serious about training,” Kyle said.
When asked what he is most excited for, Higgins could not pinpoint one specific thing.
“All of it!” Higgins laughed. “All of it!”
The games are taking place from June 17-25. More information about Team Canada can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Made-in-Newfoundland vodka claims top prize at worldwide competition
A Newfoundland-made vodka has been named one of the world’s best by judges at this year’s World Vodka Awards.