On Sunday Yukon's Special Olympics team returned home sporting gold, silver and bronze.

The 17 athletes competed in the four events at the National Summer Games in Brandon, Manitoba from Tuesday to Saturday.

The games had eight events in total: aquatics, athletics (track & field), bowling (five & ten pin), power-lifting, rhythmic gymnastics, soccer and softball. Yukon's team competed in aquatics, athletics, bowling, and soccer. They won medals in everything except soccer.

Mallory Pigage won the first bronze medal in the 25 metre freestyle swim on the first day of competition.

Britt Cowper followed up with another bronze in the 50 metre sprint the next day.

Then Pigage brought in another bronze in the 25 metre back stroke and a silver in the 50 metre freestyle on the third day of competition.

Britt won gold the same day in the standing long jump. During the games Julien Richard also won gold in five pin bowling.

But for executive director Serge Michaud it's not about the medals, it's all about personal bests.

� 'We had a gazillion person bests, which is a priority for our team There's no better personal achievement than doing your best at the national games.'

The progression of Special Olympics itself is also dramatic, points out Michaud.

In 1968, he explains, swimmers were tethered by bungee cords to a line along the ceiling so they wouldn't drown. Now they're swimming 50 metres in fewer than 25 seconds.

'Which is quite an accomplishment,' said Michaud.

'In track and field we got athletes running the 100 metre under 11.5 seconds.'

The games offer people with an intellectual disability the chance to compete in the sports they love, said Michaud.

Michaud said the athletes also meet new friends and get to meet people from across the country.