These athletes are hoping to make N.L. proud at the Summer Special Olympics in Berlin

When teams from around the world will march into Berlin's Olympiastadion for the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics World Summer Games on June 17, four provincial athletes will be in the midst of it all.

One of them is Samantha Walsh of Stephenville, who has been chosen to compete in athletics for Team Canada.

Walsh says she is excited for the Games, and she knows exactly where she is headed — "Berlin, Germany," she said emphatically when asked.

Walsh, who has been a Special Olympian for eight years, will compete in the 100-metre dash and long jump, all while keeping her focus word — "fast" — top of mind.

She is one of 7,000 athletes from 170 countries who will show off their skills in 26 different disciplines at the Games from June 17 to 25. Germany is hosting the Games, which are advertised as the world's largest inclusive sport event, for the first time.

Walsh will be joined by two decades-long Special Olympians — Grand Falls-based golfer Melvin Hanhams, who competes for the Exploits Hurricanes, and powerlifter Daniel Moores of the Corner Brook Vikings — as well as fellow Stephenville native Michael Budden.

Budden, who will compete in the 100-metre dash, javelin and shot put, shares Walsh's excitement about his nomination.

"It took me a few minutes to actually process the information because it was like, 'Wow, I'm going to Berlin,'" said Budden. "All I could think about was how the races are gonna be, what the tracks are gonna be like, what other Special Olympians are like."

While Budden hopes to score gold medals in all his disciplines, for his hometown, he and Walsh are already winners.

"People that I really didn't even know were coming up to me, saying, 'Congratulations, I heard the good news,'" said Budden.