Motionball return to Winnipeg 'means everything' to athletes, says organizer

Motionball return to Winnipeg 'means everything' to athletes, says organizer

Organizers hope to raise $100,000 in support of Special Olympics Manitoba, and national foundation

Dozens of athletes, volunteers, and supporters took part in some friendly competition on Saturday afternoon through a variety of different sports at Winnipeg's Dakota Community Centre to help fundraise for the Special Olympics Canada Foundation.

Motionball for Special Olympics, a national non-profit organization, hosted the 14th Marathon of Sport Winnipeg, bringing together a wide variety of people alongside local special Olympics athletes to participate in various team events, with the goal of raising $100,000 for the Special Olympics Canada Foundation.

"I always love coming to Motionball, it's always so much fun getting to meet new people and make some friends and bond as a team," said Winnipeg-born Regan Hofley, a Special Olympics athlete.

Hofley has been participating in Special Olympics for nearly 18 years, and recently competed at the Special Olympics Canada Summer Games in Medicine Hat last month, where she won a gold medal in a pentathlon — which included high jump, long jump, shot put, and 100 and 800 metre races.

For Hofley, the gold medal came with a heavy heart having recently lost her former coach to a battle with cancer.

"Yeah, it's hard, like my coach I had lost ... she was like a mom to me, her and I had a really special connection that no other athlete really had with her, and losing her is like losing a part of myself," she said.

Hofley credits her new coach Lisa Hargraves with helping her overcome such adversity to take home the gold.

"She has been [played] a big vital role for me, helping me overcome ... losing my last coach and help me get my confidence back," she said.

"If it wasn't for her leadership, I don't think I would have performed as well."

Proudly wearing the gold medal around her neck, she says events like this go a long way toward helping athletes make it to Olympic competitions.

"They're very important because it helps athletes like us be able to go to games because the funds that go from here go towards Special Olympics Manitoba, that help cover the costs for travel, food and amenities and well as helping with provincial covering costs for track meets and provincial games and all that," Hofley said.

The event was organized with teams of six to ten players going toe to toe in a variety of sports ranging from basketball to bocce ball, and more. Each team determines their own fundraising goals, which go towards programming for Special Olympics and their athletes.

One of the team captains was Jordanna Moskal, whose team successfully reached their fundraising target of $2,500.

"It's a day of inclusivity and it's just a really great time to get out, have some fun places like some great for awareness to Special Olympics and they're athletes," Moskal said.

Brett Griffiths is a member of the Motionball committee, and was in charge of the registration and helping put the teams together.

Last month, he says he made history as the first ever athlete ambassador for Team Manitoba at Special Olympics Manitoba and Special Olympics Canada.

"It was so much fun; I got to cheer the athletes on, helped them get ready every morning for their days to support them in whatever ways I could write newsletter articles for the provincial team newsletter," said Griffiths.

He says this day, bringing together athletes on unified teams in the spirit of fun and inclusivity, means a lot to the athletes.

"I think you see the smile on the athletes faces. I think it means everything to them to be able to come here to a safe, inclusive space and just be themselves, have fun and play sports that they love," he said.

"Everybody deserves to feel included and safe no matter where they are — and I think that just again, being here today and you see the smiles on everybody's faces — everybody's having fun, doesn't matter who you are."

Justin Fiacconi is a journalist with CBC Manitoba, where he has worked since July 2025. A former Joan Donaldson and Peter Gzowski scholar, he has worked in two different investigative units at CBC. He graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, with master's degrees in journalism, and international affairs, specializing in conflict studies. His primary journalistic interest is the intersection between geopolitics and sports. He can be reached at justin.fiacconi@cbc.ca.