Officers with Surrey Police Service (SPS) are now involved in a Special Olympics BC program in Surrey called “Club Fit Fridays,” for athletes aged 12 and older who have intellectual disabilities.
Club Fit is a fitness program designed specifically for athletes of varying skill levels to improve their health and fitness outside of participation in other Special Olympics programs, according to details posted to specialolympics.ca.
SPS Sgt. Dale Quiring, leader of the Community 1st Unit, is lead coach for the new Surrey-based sessions, and Const. Miriam Michel is the co-coach.
Club Fit Fridays, which began in November 2023, had been inactive in Surrey for several years.
Now, eight to 15 participants are able to build muscle and self-confidence in a group setting each week. The one-hour sessions have proved to be beneficial to the instructors and participants alike, program operators say.
Details are found on specialolympics.ca/british-columbia/what-we-do/sports-programs/club-fit.
“We are so pleased to have this partnership with Special Olympics BC,” SPS Chief Constable Norm Lipinski said in a news release.
“As Surrey’s new police service, it is critically important that our police officers connect with the many diverse communities we serve in a manner that makes them feel comfortable and supported. Facilitating opportunities for these dedicated athletes is a tremendous cause and we appreciate the opportunity to work with them.”
Dan Howe, president and CEO of Special Olympics BC, welcomes SPS support of Club Fit Fridays, which mean “so much to the athletes.
“It gives them an empowering opportunity to find inclusion, friendship, and fitness through sport,” Howe said.
Officers with the SPS Community 1st Unit focus on building relationships with vulnerable individuals “to ensure that SPS is listening to all voices in the community we serve,” according to a news release from the police force.