(Starting Dec. 22 and ending Dec. 31, GuelphToday will count down its top 10 stories of 2017.)
It was all about inclusiveness, fun, and a chance to compete on a level playing field.
A total of over 400 athletes from 22 different countries participated in the games, including 58 athletes from Canada.
Events included soccer, weight lifting, swimming, bocce ball, archery and basketball with athletes were divided into categories based on age, competitive level and height.
"From my perspective, a huge part of it is raising awareness," said Heather Anderson, the Hillsburgh woman who was the driving force in bringing the games to Canada.
"It's a nice experience to be hanging out with people who understand your life a little bit more than the average size person would," said Anderson, whose son competed in the games.
That was the reason Ella Sargison and Nina Kersten travelled all the way from New Zealand - the furthest that any athlete travelled. The pair made up the entire New Zealand team.
“We’d heard so much about it from the Australian team, how many friends they’d met and how much fun they’d had,’ Kersten said. “We were like ‘it would be cool to compete, make friends and play sports on a level playing field.”
The week-long event started with a fun-filled opening ceremony and ended with an even more fun-filled closing banquet, all on the University of Guelph campus.
