Keith Peters has been involved in the Special Olympics for a grand total of 43 years.
During this time, he has competed in track, basketball, baseball, floor hockey, and soccer.
He even took a trip to Barcelona, Spain, in 1992 for the games.
Continuing the competition
Peters is continuing his athleticism by competing in Bocce at the 2025 Provincial Summer Games in Winnipeg.
He’s looking forward to it.
“When I first get there, I'll probably be playing against a whole bunch of guys from Winnipeg, and maybe some of our guys from Winkler here, too,” he says. “Then after that, we’ll go to opening ceremonies, then on Saturday, we play some more and then have a dance.”
‘I’m just going to take my time’
Peters says that he has been training with his roommate Sheldon for some time now. When it comes down to the competition, he has his strategy prepared.
“I'm just going to take my time when I'm throwing the ball, and I have to concentrate, stay focused and watch how the other guy plays,” he says. “It’s kind of fun.”
Beyond embracing the spirit of competition, Peters is also hopeful that he will make Team Manitoba after the games.
He is also excited to reconnect with the friends he has made over the decades of his involvement in the Special Olympics organization.
‘Good luck, Keith’
Peters, who is a long-time employee of Hometown Ford, was recently surprised with parting encouragement from his coworkers as he prepares to compete in the tournament that runs from June 20th to June 21st.
“I walked into the coffee room and I saw a sign saying, 'Good luck, Keith,’” he says. “Then I saw a cake .... It feels good that they’re supporting me.”
Heather Derksen, who works at the service counter at Hometown Ford, organized the sendoff. She says that everyone at the business is “really proud” of him.
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“We want him to know that we're behind him, and so we thought we should let him know,” she says. “We thought it would be fun to have a celebration, so we put a few signs up in the coffee room.”
For Derksen, Peters is certainly worth celebrating.
“Keith is incredible. We don't have anyone who is as cheerful as often as Keith is. He does everything with a good attitude and with all his effort,” she says. “We know it's going to be the same thing at the games. He's going to do it with a smile on his face regardless of the result.”
‘Let’s bring back the gold medal’
Peters is not the only athlete from the Pembina Valley headed to the summer games. Individuals from the Winkler Wizzards, Valley Rollers, and Altona Panthers will also make the trip.
In total, there will be six Bocce players, twelve 10-pin bowlers, two track athletes, and seven coaches from the area attending the 2025 Provincial Summer Games.
For Peters, the goal for the tournament is to win a gold medal for “his guys.”
“That'd be kind of fun,” he says. “Let's bring back the gold medal, but if I don't, that’s okay. It gives someone else a chance, like the younger generation.”
Despite his sportsmanship and humility, Peters also has a certain confidence in his game.
When he hears people say that his team is skilled, he isn’t surprised.
“Of course we are,” he says, grinning.
- With files from Robyn Wiebe -