Thompson takes the gold
Konner Thompson took home gold with his team at the Quebec Special Olympics in Granby, scoring a trio of goals to take his team to the top. Courtesy Walter Whitebean
Kahnawa’kehró:non Konner Thompson was one to watch at the Special Olympics Quebec Summer Games in Granby earlier this month, netting three goals with his soccer team and scoring not just a gold medal but a potential spot in next year’s Nationals.
“I had a lot of focus, I wasn’t disturbed by anyone around me. I wasn’t distracted,” said 19-year-old Thompson. “I’m happy and I’m excited for next year.”
Thompson secured the gold medal with his team, Rive-Sud Rapides, after a 1-0 victory against Montreal, having beaten out teams from Quebec City and beyond in the lead up.
Of the gold medal winning teams from each region in Canada, one will be randomly drawn to earn a spot at the National Games, which is set to be held in Calgary, Alberta, next summer.
It’s a big achievement to be in the running, Thompson said, because just last year his team wasn’t winning so big.
“We didn’t win anything last year, it was a struggle,” he said. “But I really liked the team, so I played again this year, and all of us made a good effort, and this year was a lot different.”
Thompson said that realizing the team had won gold was a priceless moment.
“We wanted to win, and I told the team ‘We deserve this spot,’ so I’m happy for my team,” he said.
In the stands cheering for Thompson was one of his biggest supporters, Walter Whitebean. He said it’s been remarkable to watch Thompson and his team’s journey to the top.
“It was a struggle all last year with the team not winning much, so now them winning gold and basically going undefeated at this tournament was something to see,” he said.
The Special Olympics in Granby took place from August 6-10, and it was an environment of sportsmanship and resilience, Whitebean said.
“It was a really great environment, even the teams on the losing side were cheering each other on, and clapping every time someone was injured and got off the ground,” he said. “They played in some pretty hard conditions, it was almost 40 degrees with humidity, so to see them persevere and pull it off was pretty amazing.”
To see Thompson grow into a standout scorer on the team has also been a pleasure to watch, Whitebean said.
“It’s pretty special,” he said.
For Thompson, the rush of scoring is something that won’t get old anytime soon.
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“I played very hard, I played very tough,” he said. “I’m pushing myself to the limit.”
