Chris Bell December 9, 1980 Orangeville, Ontario

Bowled: Callingwood Lanes (2002-2012) St. Albert (2012-present)

First year and quick learner: 2002-2003 On September 29, 2002, Chris started his career with Callingwood Lanes (closed in 2012), he bowled his first ever a 194 and that was his season high score and won his first award (2nd place trophy with an 144 average). Impressing coaches, biggest tournament and season title: 2003-2004, Chris' bowling was impressive that his coaches invited him to a play-downs tournament and his impressive bowling got him a trip to the 2004 Alberta Winter Games in Peace River (where he placed 9th), then finished 2nd place in team play at a regional tournament. Chris won his first ever season championship title. 2004-2005: Strong play equals to an amazing triple crown season. In Chris' 3rd season, he was invited to a play-downs tournament (January 2005) where he finished 1st in individual play and 3rd place in team play), he booked his trip to the 2005 Provincial Summer Games in Lethbridge (after a tough first day, his team including Rodger Gratton, Roger Lavoie, David Whittington (suspended for the 2nd day for an incident) and the late Mark Watson, the team came back to win the gold medal. Chris finished 2nd in a tournament in Leduc and prior to the Games, Chris won his 2nd straight season championship title. 2005-2006: A rough season. Chris had a tough season and for the first time in his career he bowled a 93 (under 100) in November 2005. Despite the rough season, Chris captured his 3rd straight season championship title. 2007-2008: A selfish season and missing a wedding in Ontario. In December 2007, Chris decided to Calgary for Christmas 🎄 rather than to go to his Aunt Daphne and Uncle Matt's wedding. He was later critized for that mistake. Later that season, Chris captured his 4th season championship title. 2009-2010: A late start but a great finish. Chris started in January 2010 and captured his 5th and final season championship title (medal). 2011-2012: A tournament and the sad ending to the greatest Special Olympic Career (Edmonton) and a closure to the greatest bowling alley ever. Chris finished 2nd in team play and 3rd place trophy at the 2012 play-downs. In January 2012 Chris won bowler of the month. After the closure of Callingwood, Chris signed up for St. Albert and with the decision, Chris forgo the spot for the 2013 Provincials. St. Albert 2012-present. 2012-2013: A new beginning and a early season shutdown. Chris started the fall session of the 2012-2013 bowling season but on December 20, 2012 while he was eating dinner with his roommates, Chris collapsed and hit his head 6 times on the floor and had a seizure (had 6 stitches) on Christmas 🎄 day, Chris had a concussion from the seizure and was forced to shut down the remainder of the season. 2013-2014: A seizure in Florida and a near fight. Chris started 80% of the season but on March 4, 2014 while he was about to leave the security line-up at the Tampa International Airport 🛫, Chris had a seizure and instead of flying back to New Jersey, he had to stay an extra night in Tampa. The next day Chris flew to Chicago and then back to Edmonton. Shortly after that he had an incident with Scott Armstrong at St. Albert Centre and with 4 weeks left in the season, he felt unsafe and shut down the season. Chris didn't play in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 season. 2016-2017: Chris first full season since 2007-2008. Chris started and finish the entire season. Not much happened that season. 2017-2018 season: play-downs tournament and start to finish season. Chris finished 2nd in team play at the 2018 Provincial Winter Games play-downs (his first tournament since 2012 season). 2018-2019: A terrible season includes a really nasty tournament. Chris had a tough start to the season and it continued to the 2019 Provincial Winter Games in Calgary, first night 🌙, Chris had to start with another team after getting messed in the opening ceremonies team order, then cut his bowling hand with his suitcase zipper. On the first day of the Games, Chris went over the foul line and cost himself an award (February 9). On day 2 of the tournament, Chris and his team faired no better as the team finished last (February 10). Chris finished last in the first day. Lauren Clark and her team collected 6 medals 🏅 and the guys didn't come home with any medals. 2019-2020: A goal towards 10,000 pins disrupted by a global pandemic. Chris was on his way to a 10,000 pin season, however after his last bowling 🎳 week (February 29, 2020), Chris went to Florida from March 3, 2020 and returned on March 10, 2020, a few hours after returning the WHO announced that Covid-19 as a global pandemic and the rest of the season was cancelled and Chris' 10,000 pin goal was scrapped. 2020-2021: A short season and new covid-19 restrictions. Chris started again in October 2020 but after 4 weeks into the season new covid-19 restrictions were announced and the season was scrapped. 2021-2022: A hopeful start to finish season. Chris started the season with no problems without a hitch for 7 weeks. However during the Christmas 🎄 and New Years holidays, fresh new cases of covid-19 continued and ultimately ended the Edmonton bowling 🎳 season on January 14, 2022, However after discussions with St. Albert Special Olympics bowling 🎳 coaches and the staff, they decided on February 1, 2022 that the season will restart on February 12, 2022 barring any more fresh new cases of covid-19. On February 8, 2022 at 3:35 pm, Chris decided he will finish the season under protest in support for his friends in Edmonton that lost their season. On Day 1 of the 2022 Bowling Restart on February 12, Chris bowled a 187, 167 and 212. On February 15th the Alberta Special Olympics announced that if the pandemic situation continues to go lower, then if a athlete is in a fall/winter program will still have to wear a mask, after April 1, 2022 the proof of vaccination will no longer be required for the spring/summer but for the athletes to continue to wear a mask that hasn't been determined yet. Despite Kenney's announcement on February 26, 2022 on the province mask mandate being lifted on March 1, 2022, Special Olympics will continue to do mask mandate within the programs and also drinking and eating will continue to being off limits. The organization will revisited the issue in April to see if the Special Olympics mask mandate being lifted or ongoing. On February 24, 2022, Special Olympics has announced that the spring/summer programs registrations will happen on April 15th, meaning that track will start late and with that there might not be any track competitions in 2022, prompting Chris on February 25, 2022 to make the 2023 season will be his next season for track.

Other Special Olympic and Leagues:

2002-1st in 100m and 2nd in 400m at 2002 track meet

2003-Won $22 in spring league (5-pin)

2004-3rd in 50m, 200m and shot put at 2004 track meet

2005-3rd in spring league (5-pin)

2007-Won C Division Championship at a fall/winter league at Callingwood Lanes and joined a Team Alberta Bowling Challenge where Chris, Paul, Rodger, Fred and Lauren Clark (Chris former girlfriend) as they finished in 141st.

2009-Won a match play championship at K J Bowl (first title at a different alley) after he was banned from leagues at Callingwood Lanes in 2007.

2011-Won a no-tap league title at Bonnie Doon Lanes (2nd title at a different alley), at soccer Chris scored 5 goals and 4 assists and 9 points in 3 games including a hat trick and 2 game winners. He was named player of the tournament.

Happy Rollers

In 2006-2007 Chris played in another different league called Happy Rollers. It happened every Saturday. Chris also did Happy Rollers again 2011-2012. Since 2015, Chris has gone to St. Albert Bowling Centre.

Softball

In 2006, Chris played 10 games and had 4 home runs and 14 runs batted in including a 5 RBI game in a fun game vs. St. Albert. Chris played only 3 games with St. Albert in 2013. In 2019, Chris had only 5 RBIs.

Floor Hockey

In 2006, Chris joined the D Division and played only 6 games but collected no points. In 2012 after joining St. Albert, Chris played 4 games and scored 1 goal and added an assist for 2 points.

Curling

In 2003, Chris signed up for curling but didnt played much. He only played 2 weeks before quitting.

In Soccer prior 3 full seasons (2011-2013)

In 2006, Chris played 10 games and only had 5 points. He also played some goalkeeping.

Chris has gone to Ontario 9 times since 1989, this includes 1989 during spring break, 1995 summer for 6 weeks went to Niagara Falls with his Aunt Daphne, late Aunt Nancy (died in 2015) and late Uncle Richard (died in 2008). Also went to a Blue Jays with Uncle Richard and Aunt Sue. 1999-2000 for Christmas and the Y2K scare, stayed most of his time at Aunt Sue and her family including Christmas but the New Years weekend with Aunt Daphne and future Uncle Matt (married in 2008 in which Chris didn't attend due to a Calgary Christmas trip and his bowling career), 2001 for 2 weeks and not much happened, 2004-2005, went bowling in Guelph with his Mom and Aunt Daphne. This was the last time Chris saw his Opa before his death in 2007, June 19-25, 2008 Chris stayed with his mom and visited his late Uncle Richard. 2nd trip in 2008 was actually extended 3 times. He watched the entire 2008 Beijing Olympics in Ontario. 3rd trip in 2008 was from November 28-December 27, 2008, went to 2 Guelph Storm games. This was Chris' last Ontario trip til 2017. 2017 trip with his mom including a stop at the Great Lakes and stayed in Huron Park with his Oma from June 3-10, 2017. Chris forced his mom to allow him to go down again in 2018 but that was a massive mistake/nightmare. The 2018 trip including the Grand Bend Farmers Market, trip to Michigan. As of February 23, 2022 at 6:30 pm this will be the last trip to Ontario as www.westjet.com continues to mess around the scheduled April 9th trip and the times has not been announced yet. With less than 6 weeks to go, Chris has decided not to go to Ontario. With that decision, Chris will keep his committment with the upcoming AJHL playoffs (Saints playoffs), upcoming coffee news job and 4 weeks of bowling on April 2, 9, 23 and 30. He has the trip with the bowling weeks, after the entire month of January which was cancelled due to the rising numbers of Covid-19 cases. Chris will unlikely go back to either to Ontario and/or Florida anytime soon. It is very likely that his traveling days have been outnumbered.