Jordan Sernaggia
Local / Community
Kamloops
When and how did you get involved with Special Olympics?
Initially, I began volunteering for SOBC while attending university at SFU in Burnaby 15 years ago, assisting with the Burnaby floor hockey program. I continued volunteering with their program, as well as with the Canucks Autism Network at the same time through university, until I moved to Kamloops. Once in Kamloops, I reached out to the local about getting involved. I found out they didn't have a powerlifting program, and decided to start one up. This was nearly 10 years ago, and I’ve been the Kamloops PL head coach ever since.
Will this be your first Special Olympics Canada Games? If not, what other National Games were you part of and in what role(s)?
This will be my first Nationals! Unfortunately our last games cycle was interrupted by COVID, but one of my athletes made it onto Team Canada for Worlds in Germany, so I was a training coach for that.
What does being part of Special Olympics Team BC 2026 mean to you?
I’m excited to watch my athletes grow, both as competitors and as individuals as they get to experience new things. Powerlifting is a pretty tight knit community, and I’m really looking forward to getting to better know a lot of the athletes in other locals that I only get to see at competition.
What is/are your goal(s) for National Games?
My goal is for my athletes to have fun, gain new experiences, come together as a team, and set new personal bests in their various lifts.
What is your favourite Special Olympics experience to date?
Powerlifting is a pretty tight knit community, and because of that, I know a lot of the other athletes from other locals over the years at our various competitions. At provincials in PG, I came across an athlete that I hadn’t seen since prior to COVID, and as far as I knew, wasn’t actively still involved in powerlifting. He spotted me across the room following the opening ceremonies, and yelled “Jordan - I haven’t see you in so long!!! How are you doing!!!” He ran over and gave me a big high five, and we got to spend a few minutes catching up. He’s going to Nationals with me, so I’m pretty excited to spend more time with him.
What does competing at National Games mean to your athletes? (Or, if this is your first National Games, competition in general)
I know for my athletes, Nationals has been a goal for 8 years, and it was a disappointment to them that the previous cycle of competition was interrupted. To them, they are very excited to have the opportunity to explore our country, meet athletes from across Canada, and compete on the national stage, with one eye on the World Games.
What developments are you excited to see in your Team BC sport team leading up to National Games?
Ongoing development in their respective Locals to continue to grow the sport. The sport has grown a great amount in recent years, and we hope for that growth to continue.
What would you say about Special Olympics to encourage someone to get involved?
It's a really rewarding experience. It's such an amazing group of athletes who really appreciate the time you spend with them, and they genuinely want to get to know you and help you as you help them.