Simmons, the swim coach for about 60 Special Olympics athletes, used to check in with her team face-to-face in the lobby of Crystal Pool before swim practice. When sports programs ground to a halt in mid-March as B.C. declared a state of emergency, Simmons knew she needed to do something to keep the group connected. “It was something I felt they needed, to have a place to connect with each other socially and share any challenges they were having,” she said. Two weeks after the pandemic was declared, with the help of fellow Victoria-based Special Olympics coach Kyle Eriksen, Simmons launched a Zoom Room for Special Olympics athletes where she leads fitness classes, ending the session with a mental-health check.