Yvonne Poulin, RMT
Tumbler Ridge showcases it’s hometown sporting heroes in the Community Centre gathering area, adjacent to the curling rink and the Rock Pit gym. Reading the stories and backgrounds of these remarkable athletes creates a sense of pride within the community.
Now, adding to that pride is a new group of people. In mid-September seven of our fine locals participated in the BC Seniors 55+ Games, held September 10–14 in Kelowna.
Four of them returned to Tumbler Ridge with provincial medals for their victories in their age and golf competition categories.
Deb Bain brings home a Silver medal in the gross category, Lloyd Hanberg brings home a Silver medal in the low net category, and both Jean Slaney and Terry Vandenbosch return with Bronze medals in the low net category for their respective groups.
This is not a first for any of these athletes. In addition to these wins, they’ve all attended the BC Senior’s Games multiple times and have each won a provincial trophy five or more times.
Lloyd Hanberg, at 85, leads the local golf victories with eight gold medals, two silver, and one bronze. Each one of the medal winners has a chance to apply and qualify for the Canada 55+ Games scheduled for the summer of 2020.
Also attending the games were Glenn Miller, who participated in golf and cribbage, Dale Friklund, who participated in golf, and Danny Mills who participated in cribbage.
The BC Seniors Games is an annual multi-sport event for the 55+ population. Most traditional summer sports such as archery, cycling, swimming, and tennis are hosted as well as bridge, dragon-boating, equestrian, and snooker competitions. There are even a few events that weren’t familiar to me; pickleball (offered in our own Community Centre), sturling, and whist. Curious? Learn about 30+ sports and games to choose from on their website at www.55plusbcgames.org/sports.
