Special Olympics Hawke's Bay ten-pin bowlers at the bowling alley on day one of the National Summer Games in Christchurch.
Special Olympics Hawke's Bay ten-pin bowlers at the bowling alley on day one of the National Summer Games in Christchurch.
Hawke’s Bay has arrived in force at the Special Olympics National Summer Games in Christchurch, sending half its registered athletes south.
Fifty competitors are taking part across six sports: swimming, bocce, ten-pin bowling, golf, football and powerlifting. They are supported by 18 coaches, volunteers and management.
The teammade an immediate impact on day one.
At Zone Bowling, the ten-pin squad turned up in custom-made shirts and quickly got on the scoreboard. Pairing together, Corbyn Stephenson and Michael Donovan each posted 509 totals in their first three games, combining for 1018.
Corbyn Stephenson (left) and Michael Donovan at the 2025 Special Olympics National Summer Games in Christchurch.
Team manager Anne Donovan said it was “a relief and a thrill” to see competition underway after months and, for many, years of preparation.
The Special Olympics New Zealand 2025 National Summer Games is the country’s largest celebration of inclusion through sport, bringing more than 1200 athletes with intellectual disabilities from 42 clubs to Christchurch from December 10-14.
