Orillia speed skater Stephen Graham is aging like a fine wine. The talented local athlete returned from Calgary this week with four more medals — three bronze and one silver— after a stellar performance at the Special Olympics national championship.
Graham, 42, finished the 1,500-metre race in two minutes and 40.5 seconds, beating his previous personal record. He fell just two seconds short of winning a gold medal while competing against the top Special Olympics athletes from throughout Canada.
"Having all the support of the community behind me made a big difference," he said. "Without the support that I had, I don't think I would have done as well as I did."
Graham says he is proud of how he performed at the games in Calgary and his success is "as good as gold."
"I worked really hard for those medals," he said. "I'm a lot older now than I was when I first went to nationals, but I still stood toe to toe with all the other athletes."
Graham, an Orillia District Collegiate & Vocational Institute graduate, hopes he will have another chance to represent the province on the national stage again next year.
"I have to go through the process again, post good times, and earn the points," he explained. "It's hard to say if I'll be back and it's never a guarantee."
Graham says he is going to do everything possible to put himself in a position to return to the games next year.
"I pushed myself so hard to get here this year," he said. "I have to keep going and push a little bit harder."
Graham, who is a three-time national champion, was nominated by his Team Ontario teammates to be the flag bearer for Ontario during the opening ceremonies of the event.
"That was a big opportunity for me," he said. "That's not something everybody gets to do."
Graham hopes his athletic efforts will inspire others to pursue their goals.
"I would encourage everybody to keep fighting for whatever it is they set out to do," he said. "Never give up because anything is possible."
