Catriona Le May Doan presents certificates to special Olympics athletes for pickleball [Video]

More than 30 Special Olympic athletes were recognized for their proficiency in pickleball on Sunday.

The event took place at the MNP Community and Sport Centre in downtown Calgary, where 32 athletes were enrolled in two one-hour sessions taught by certified pickleball instructors Peter and Jean Lellewellyn.

Lellewellyn said Sunday’s group – who were completing the course and receiving certification – were a joy to work with.

“My husband and I both do a lot of teaching throughout the week, but this group is smiles all the way” she said., “They just really appreciate it and love it.

“And as you can see, there’s quite a range of skill levels,” she added. “They’re very diverse with their abilities, so we tend to divide them into groups according to skill levels, and the top group obviously can play great pickleball games and (with) others, we’re focusing more on movement and hand …