Curiosity led Terry Livingstone to speed skating. Talent, hard work and determination helped him to a long and successful speed skating career with Special Olympics.
Intrigued by what he saw on television during the Winter Olympics, Livingstone ventured out to the Regina Speed Skating Club’s oval at Mount Pleasant to take a closer look. He started out as a volunteer to learn more about speed skating before taking up the sport in 1993.
Livingstone started off by competing in local and regional competitions around the province. Today, he holds Special Olympics Saskatchewan speed skating records in the 500 metres, 777 metres, 1,000 metres and 1,500 metres.
In 2000, Livingstone moved on to compete at the Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Ottawa. His first national competition was successful winning gold in the 500 metres, 777 metres, 1,000 metres and relay. Livingstone followed that up with a gold, silver and bronze on Prince Edward Island in 2004, along with two golds and a silver in Quebec in 2008. At the 2016 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Newfoundland, Livingstone skated to gold in the 500 metres and 777 metres events and won a silver in the 1000 metres race.
His success on the national stage allowed him to qualify for the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Vermont in 1981 and Idaho in 2009, where he won two bronze medals. The highlight of Livingstone’s international career was winning gold in the 777 metres in Austria in 2017.
Appreciative of the benefits the sport has provided him, Livingstone now serves as a mentor and leader for younger Special Olympians. He embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and lives the values and ideals of Special Olympics. Through his dedication to sports, he has demonstrated that they can be a catalyst for changing and improving lives. Livingstone’s attitude is an inspiration for teammates, coaches and fellow competitors.
As a member of Special Olympics for more than 35 years, Livingstone has also participated in floor hockey, softball, athletics, swimming and bowling – competing on a national level in many of these sports. In addition to competing, he served on the board of directors for Special Olympics Saskatchewan from 2009 to 2013 and volunteered with Special Olympics Regina.
Livingstone is one of only two athletes to be recognized as a Special Olympics Saskatchewan Honorary Life Member – an award he received in 2015. The following year he received the Dr. Frank Hayden Athlete Lifetime Achievement Award from Special Olympics Canada. He is the first Special Olympic athlete to be inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame.
Installed in the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame on September 30, 2017.
