Sport

A trailblazer enshrined

Brita Hall becomes first Special Olympics athlete inducted in Manitoba's Sports Hall of Fame.

Memorabilia displayed on a table
Estimated Read Time:
2 minutes
Estimated Read Time:
2 minutes
By

Connor Boyd

On Thursday, Nov. 7, facilities staff member Brita Hall was inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. She is the first Special Olympics athlete to be inducted into Manitoba's Sports Hall of Fame.

A 44-year career of gold

Her 44-year career began when she won her first gold medal in the 800m at the 1980 Provincial Summer Games. Brita has competed in numerous sports, including cross-country skiing, track and field, golf and alpine skiing.

“Brita loves her sports and the socialization she gets from being around the other athletes,” says her mother, Brigit Hall. “Special Olympics has been fantastic, teaching her discipline, teamwork, communication and sportsmanship and has taken her around the world.”

Brita has represented Manitoba and Canada at the 1992 Special Olympics World Winter Games, the Paralympics in Lillehammer and Nagano and the World Summer Games in North Carolina in 2013. Brita has also competed in several national competitions.

Along with Brita’s many athletic achievements, she has also received the Bronze Award from Winnipeg Mayor Bill Norrie, the Silver Award from Lt. Governor GeJohnson, and the Gold Award from His Royal Highness Prince Edward when he visited Winnipeg in 1990. She was the first person with an intellectual disability to receive these awards in Manitoba.

Beyond the medals: High honours and infectious spirit

“To see her be recognized for all that she has achieved, really the legend that she is, was truly special,” says Eric Thompson, a Facilities Supervisor for the Active Living Centre at the University of Manitoba. “To us, she is Brita, but she’s also so much more, and she continues to impress and inspire us.”

Brita has worked at UM for over thirty years, the last two of which were as a Facilities Attendant in the sports and recreation facilities. Thompson says seeing her inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame was incredibly special.

Brita Hall (centre right) holds a bouquet of roses and poses with Facilities team members.
Brita Hall (centre right) poses with Facilities team members Andrea Dietrich, Eric Thompson and Simon Wang at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony in November 2024.
Brita Hall (centre right) poses with Facilities team members Andrea Dietrich, Eric Thompson and Simon Wang at the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony in November 2024.

“It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving person,” says Paul Van Der Merwe, the Assistant Fitness Training Coordinator. “Not just because of what she has accomplished physically, but because of the person she is.”

Thompson says Brita takes immense pride in her work at the university. She helps ensure that equipment and spaces across the sport and recreation facilities are well maintained, cleaned and organized. But even while hard at work, she can be found talking with students, staff, faculty and community members.

“It’s hard to have a bad day when Brita is around,” says Van Der Merwe. “She is always positive, always full of energy and it’s infectious.”

Full circle moment and training for Turin 2025

Brigit says seeing her inducted alongside Ted Irvine, an NHL veteran who was instrumental in bringing Special Olympics to Manitoba, felt like an incredible full-circle moment.

Brita is currently training as a part of the Special Olympics Team Canada Training Squad. The next Special Olympics will take place in Turn, Italy in 2025, where Brita hopes to medal.