. Mr. Speaker, today I am very honoured to be speaking about the first Northwest Territories female athlete to win gold at the Special Olympics World Games.
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Mr. Speaker, this is Yellowknife South resident Chelsey Makaro. And if you have the chance or ability where you are sitting to look up, she has brought her medals with her.
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Mr. Speaker, this past summer, Ms. Makaro traveled to Berlin, Germany, as part of Team Canada to attend the Special Olympics World Summer Games. The games are held every two years and offer athletes with intellectual disabilities an opportunity to compete in a variety of sports. She's a member of Canada's swim team. I first met her prior to her departure when we sent her with a Northwest Territories flag. Today, she has proudly returned wearing her Team Canada jacket to show me her medals. Because not only did she participate as a swimmer on behalf of Canada at the games, Mr. Speaker, she brought home two gold medals one for the 25meter backstroke and another as part of the four by 50meter freestyle team relay.
Ms. Makaro earned her medals. She worked tirelessly I have spoken with her and her father about her training seven days a week, in and out of the pool, all through the year, up at six in the morning, and working with a number of representatives from across Yellowknife for dry land training physiotherapy. Her parents supported her along the way, getting her to those 6 a.m. practices, and clearly it all paid off. As I said at the start, these medals have made her the first Northwest Territories female athlete to win gold at the Special Olympics World Games.
So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Ms. Makaro for representing the Northwest Territories on Team Canada. I want to thank her for carrying our flag with pride, with hard work, and congratulate Chelsey Makaro on her welldeserved and wellearned results at the Special Olympics World Games. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Member for Yellowknife South. Members' statements. Member for Nahendeh.
