A Successful Grand Rendez-vous Unifié at McGill University

On Saturday, March 22, as part of Quebec Intellectual Disability Week, the second Grand Rendez-vous Unifié (GRVU) was held at the McGill University sports complex. A total of 265 athletes, 166 students and healthcare professionals, 70 unified partners, and 90 Special Olympics Québec coaches participated in this day of social inclusion through sport and health. The GRVU was kicked off by Lionel Carmant, Minister Responsible for Social Services. Thank you very much Lionel Carmant, Member of the National Assembly for Taillon, for your presence!

On the program: Unified provincial basketball and soccer tournaments, swimming and track and field, accompanied by screenings in three specialties (physiotherapy, dentistry, health promotion). Students and healthcare professionals had the opportunity to assess the athletes’ health and to be teammates on the field at the start of the day. McGill’s university sports teams then took over for the athletic portion. The health component was provided by various entities within the McGill Faculty of Medicine: the Faculty of Dentistry; the Schools of Nursing, Physiotherapy, and Occupational Therapy; and the Department of Kinesiology and Athletic Therapy at Concordia University. All university health and sports partners welcomed the athletes with openness, enthusiasm, and enthusiasm.

All participants, with and without intellectual disabilities, were able to connect across their differences to dream and build a more inclusive world. Special Olympics Quebec would like to thank all its partners for their commitment to the day’s success.

A huge thank you to our partners:

McGill Nursing

Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences McGill University

McGill School of Physical and Occupational Therapy

McGill Athletics

Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Applied Physiology

Quebec Intellectual Disability Society

Thank you to the SPVM and its ambassador Flik for their support and enthusiasm. A special mention to McGill University, without whom this day would not have been possible! Thank you!