Coach reflects on Doucette’s four-medal performance

Kolton show.

The Team P.E.I. member from Wellington Station won four medals in powerlifting at the Special Olympics Canada 2018 Summer Games last week.

Doucette tied for gold in the bench press, won silver in the squat, bronze in the deadlift and silver overall.

“He was ecstatic,” said Team P.E.I. powerlifting coach Dan MacIntosh, who is from Doucette put on a Westville, N.S. “He was over the moon.”

MacIntosh also served as Doucette’s coach at the 2014 National Summer Games in Vancouver and proudly pointed out his progression during the last four years.

“His starting lifts in this competition were higher than his finishing lifts in B.C.,” explained MacIntosh. “He was lifting about 20, 25 per cent more than he was than when he was in B.C. He was ready for every lift.”

MacIntosh noted Doucette lifted 160 pounds in both the bench press and squat.

“He’s doing over his body weight,” said MacIntosh. “He weighs 145 pounds, and for his deadlift he lifted 220 pounds.”

Not only did Doucette excel in competition, but he was also a fan favourite.

“He is a MacIntosh.

“He got up there and performed for the crowd.

“The crowd went just crazy for him before every lift. He went out there, told them what he was going to do and he did it. . .

“Hopefully, he made P.E.I. half showstopper,” said as proud as he made everybody who is here. Even people who didn’t know Kolton were coming up and congratulating him. He’s a celebrity here.”

MacIntosh also made a point to recognize the efforts of Nathan DesRoches, who is Doucette’s training coach on P.E.I.

“He has put a lot of time in with Kolton, and it’s him and Kolton who deserve the credit for Kolton’s progression,” said MacIntosh.

“They worked hard for this. I’m just the fortunate one who gets to take him to the show.”

“There will be a selection committee formed starting Monday,” explained McNally.

“That is put together by Special Olympics Canada. They will review all the results of the Games (in Antigonish).

“Based on the Special Olympics Canada selection policies that are in place, they will then contact chapters with the athletes who have potential to move onto a World Games. It’s usually a month-long process, but because the World Games are in Abu Dhabi in March, things are really tight for registration and getting documentation in order. We could see this pull together in a much shorter time frame.”

The National Summer Games concluded with the closing ceremony and the very popular victory dance at St. F.X. University on Saturday night.

“It’s a really exciting party and celebration of what happened this week,” said McNally.