The Canadian men’s national soccer team’s journey to their first-ever knockout-stage appearance at the FIFA World Cup is captivating young and old alike.

While Group B play ended for the 26 men donning the maple leaf with a tight 2-1 loss to Switzerland on June 24 in Vancouver, they electrified offensively with eight goals over three contests heading into their June 28 clash against South Africa in Los Angeles in the knockout round of the World Cup.  

However, these football stars are not the only Canadian athletes delivering inspirational goods leading up to Canada Day.

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June 23 marked the sixth anniversary of the Aspire Games, a track and field showcase for over 150 Toronto Catholic District School Board (TCDSB) student athletes with special needs. James Cardinal McGuigan Catholic High School spearheaded this event at York University’s Toronto Track and Field Centre.

Terry Douglas, James Cardinal McGuigan’s special education department head, said the original intent of this sporting competition when he launched it in 2019 was to emulate the Special Olympics, but he soon concluded there was a different path that could make even more students feel seen.

“What I did was move away from the Special Olympics and took more of an equity lens and see who the kids are missing out in terms of sports and athletics and trying to create a space for them,” said Douglas. “Because typically the kids with physical disabilities and intellectual disabilities don't really get recognized and it's nobody's fault. It's just that when we do things the same way every time, people get lost and the gap gets wider.”

The Aspire Games empowers these often-overlooked students to demonstrate their athletic gifts on the same terrain where U Sports and Ontario University Athletics competitions have been routinely staged over the years. These young athletes compete in javelin, hurdles, long jump, shot put, target throw and the 80-metre sprint. They build skills, celebrate an active lifestyle and enjoy time with friends along the way.

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Angela Tersigni, a special education teacher at James Cardinal McGuigan, said the collaboration with York University students enrolled in the Adaptive Physical Activity course has been invaluable in elevating the Aspire Games.

“They know how to accommodate for students,” said Tersigni. “And so, what we do is rotate groups of students between each event and (the York students) know how to adapt the particular event to all the different needs that might through at that rotation. They know how to recognize it and adapt the sport to each individual child, which is very different from the Special Olympics.”

Both Douglas and Tersigni shared with The Catholic Register that they want to keep the Aspire Games community connected with what is taking place in the wider world, and this is accomplished through thematic branding. Naturally, the unfolding FIFA World Cup on North American soil was an obvious choice for the 2026 iteration.

“There's a relationship between the sporting events, in particular FIFA, of course,” said Tersigni. "And we talk about it in class with our students, they're watching and they're very proud that they're going to be competing.”

In 2024, Douglas and Tersigni incorporated the 2024 Summer Olympics into the décor and the student outfits. Last year was about showcasing Indigenous art and culture. This year featured homages to the FIFA World Cup such as using soccer balls in some of the floral displays.

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And imitating how it takes a large multitude of people to mount the FIFA World Cup, well over 110 support staff and teachers, 65 TCDSB student leaders and stakeholders from the York University community helped to ensure the Aspire Games unfolded smoothly.

The aspirational power of faith is honoured at this competition through the athlete’s prayer: Dear God, please take this moment in my life and use me to give you glory and praise. Take my passion for this sport, may it light up with your love. Take the hours of training and my commitment to excellence to bring joy and inspiration to others.