Yorke Parkin headed to Italy for Special Olympics World Winter Games

Yorke Parkin will be showcasing Revelstoke talent in alpine ski racing when he competes at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy from Saturday, March 8 to Saturday, March 15. 

Parkin’s road to the international games is a culmination of multiple wins at the Special Olympics BC Winter Games, three gold medal wins at the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Games in Calgary and countless hours on the mountain with coach Saige Beaumont.

“I ski four days a week,” Parkin told Revelstoke Mountaineer. At 16 years old and one of the youngest members of Team Canada, he’s still juggling the balance of school, training and all the other aspects of teenage life.

“It’s a lot of training and a lot of dedication,” he said.

That focus has pulled Parkin from being, “late to skiing for a Revelstoke kid,” as his mother, Bex Reid-Parkin said, to being one of the fastest alpine skiers on Special Olympics Team Canada. Within the span of four years since joining the Special Olympics circuit, Parkin is heading for one of his biggest goals, competing in Italy’s Special Olympics World Winter Games.

Training for the Worlds

Parkin’s career as an alpine skier started with Revelstoke Ski Club where he would meet future coach Saige Beaumont. With 13 years of coaching experience through the club and now through Special Olympics Canada, Beaumont has witnessed Parkin’s growth from the rambunctious kid who penned, “I’m sorry” letters for antics on the course to the dedicated athlete assessing races and mapping his way to finish lines.

“We both learned a lot in the past four years, and it’s been really cool to share that together,” Beaumont said reflecting on her own journey of becoming a coach for Special Olympics BC and applying to be a coach for Special Olympics Canada so she could stick with Parkin on his journey.

Parkin’s training hasn’t just been about trying his hand at runs like Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s infamous black diamond run Kill the Banker, a task coach Beaumont joked was, “working on your mental strength.” 

Through Special Olympics Revelstoke’s programs such as club fit, Parkin has been able to tailor strength training, cardio and more to his specific needs with Noonan Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects various stages of development. Programs through Special Olympics Revelstoke are volunteer-run and supported through fundraising and community donations. 

“If it wasn’t for them, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do the things he has done,” Reid-Parkin said. She’s seen the same level of dedication to athletes through the Special Olympics BC and Special Olympics Canada programs as Parkin works through the ranks.

Part of Noonan Syndrome involves increased joint pain and higher rates of injury, and Team Parkin keeps safety front of mind, assessing his ability to train and ski day-by-day.

“We listen to him,” Reid-Parkin said. “If he’s not feeling up for training then it’s not happening that day.”

Having competed on different occasions with a broken thumb and a broken tailbone, Parkin is focused on giving his body the rest and resources it needs to be competing at his top level for Italy.

“I still need to get training in, but I also need to rest up so I know my body can handle what’s going to come,” he said.

Keeping Revelstoke close in Italy

Parkin knows there’s going to be some strong hometown support cheering him on when he hits the course, but there will be two unique reminders of home close to his chest during the games and celebrations. 

A banner patch with “Gale Force” written on it and an upside down Revy. sticker are both inside Parkin’s Team Canada jacket as a way of bringing former sports buddy Devyn Gale and Revelstoke’s Special Olympics teammate Aleesha Kaler to the world stage with him.

Gale and Parkin grew up skiing and swimming together, their families remaining close over the years. Gale’s death while working as a wildland firefighter during B.C.’s 2023 wildfire season rocked Revelstoke and the BC Wildfire Service community. 

Kaler participated on Revelstoke’s bocce, bowling and curling Special Olympics teams and was beloved by everyone connected to the organization. Her passing in August, 2024 is still being felt by the community. 

“We all loved her personality, she was really funny,” Parkin said. “We really miss her.”

He hopes to give the memories of Gale and Kaler a moment in the spotlight alongside him. 

While all of Revelstoke can’t join him in Italy to cheer on his races, Parkin knows there will be cheering from the hometown crowd. 

Streaming options will be available through Special Olympics and other platforms, but Parkin’s race times might not line up with Revelstoke’s daytime hours. Instead, fans can wear the Team Parkin colours of green and purple, an homage to the green and purple mullet Parkin sported for his first ever race.