Hamber Twins Triumph In Speed Skating At The BC Winter Games

Photo Credit: Terry Hogan

From Feb. 26 to Mar. 1, Rosy and Victoria Hogan, two identical twins from Hamber, attended the 2026 Trail-Rossland BC Winter Games. Competing as speed skaters representing Special Olympics BC, Rosy and Victoria were awarded five medals apiece; Rosy won four silver medals and one bronze, and Victoria won one silver medal and four bronze medals.

Founded in 1978, the BC Winter Games are a biannual celebration of sports and community, gathering over 1,200 athletes, trained officials, and coaches for five days of competition. Special Olympics BC, the organization that the twins represented, is a sports program dedicated to supporting athletes with intellectual disabilities across British Columbia. At the BC Winter Games, athletes from Special Olympics BC competed in their own bracket.

Rosy and Victoria Hogan’s experience at the BC Winter Games spanned all four days, full of both challenges and successes. Day one was spent attending the opening ceremony, days two to three were spent competing, and the final day was committed to the closing ceremony.

Rosy recalled her experience at the BC Games fondly. "I was really surprised even to find out that I had [a] qualifying time for the BC Cup." The BC Cup competitions refer to province-wide racing opportunities for speed skaters who have met a minimum qualifying time. 

Victoria also enjoyed the BC Games. “[The BC Games are] a massive opportunity,” she said, “and it’s very fun, which was the main reason why [Rosy and I] started.” 

Rosy and Victoria shared how they felt while racing at the competition. "[I was] so terrified before and exhausted after even the long-distance races. I was out of breath," Victoria recalled. She added that the 1500 metre race was especially exhausting. 

The twins had to overcome many challenges during the Games; Rosy recalled a 777 metre race where she fell midway through a lap. "Even though I fell, I was ahead of [a fellow speed skater] at the start," Rosy said. "I got up, sprinted my heart out, and still got my silver." 

As well, Victoria shared her strategy for pushing through long races. "I [would think about] something else other than the race, basically something random," she explained. “It depends on what distance the race is and how long I would have to keep on skating for.” She gave an example, saying: "If it's the 1500 metre, I would keep on thinking of our cat [...] Thomas." 

To Victoria, being an athlete at the BC Games isn’t just a chance to go head-to-head against other athletes, but an occasion to meet new people who are just as dedicated to their sport as she is. 

"[The BC Games are] inclusive, and you can make new friends and compete against each other," Victoria said. "[You also] have a lot of opportunities to get stronger and build everything up so you can go to BC competitions, nationals, [and] even world competitions." 

To prepare for the Games, both Rosy and Victoria participated in seven practice meets with their skating group, the Vancouver Velocity Speed Skating Club. "I did [...] eight meets within the whole season," Rosy said. "Seven of them were before the BC Winter Games." 

"We trained a lot," Victoria said when asked about how she prepared for the games. "For the BC Winter Game[s], we were [training] three days a week." One day was dedicated to strength training off the ice, while the other two days were for skating practice. These skating practices consisted of numerous drills, including crossovers. 

Rosy and Victoria also reflected on their support systems during the BC Games. Rosy shared that Faith, another speed skater, was especially supportive of her. "She'd never [been] to any games before, but she volunteered at the BC Winter Games. She made bracelets. There [was] also a Vancouver figure skater, Lina, and I could hear her voice saying, 'Go Rosy!' and 'Go Victoria!'"

Similarly, Victoria said that she also felt well supported by coaches and friends from other teams.

Both Rosy and Victoria first stepped onto the ice when they were just three years old. When they were ten, they began to venture into speed skating, supported by their father, who acted as their coach.

Ever since their introduction to the sport, Rosy and Victoria's love for speed skating has only grown stronger. When asked what she liked most about the sport, Victoria shared an anecdote about how her skating has progressed over the years, and how her perspective on speed skating changed as her skills improved. 

"The first time I did a [1500 meter race], I was like, 'I don't want to do this again,'" Victoria said. "And then the next year, [I thought], 'I [do] want to do this again [...I felt] the total opposite." 

"Once we were on the 111 [metre] track, it was like, 'I'm so much faster and better at this [than before].”

Rosy held a different favourite aspect of the sport. "There's no speed limit," Rosy said. "There is no minimum or maximum. [...] You can go as slow as you want, and you can go as fast.”