It’s Kelowna, it’s hot and it’s mid-September 2019. These are the 32nd annual BC Senior/55+ Games.
It’s Wednesday evening, Sept. 11, opening night ceremonies. We athletes, 3,700 strong, together march in to Prospera Place, accompanied by loud cheers from the stands and rhythmic drumbeats from the multitude of speakers placed throughout the stadium. Flashing searchlights play back and forth over the assembled crowd – VIPs ready with their speeches; enthusiastic residents of Kelowna; First Nations representatives; our personal cheerleaders who have made the journey with us to show their support; and finally, most importantly, the hundreds of local volunteers, so necessary to carry off an intensive event such as this.
An extravaganza of music and speeches intermingle over the next hour and a half: greetings read out from Premier John Horgan; songs by the female vocal trio Kitsch ’n Sync – reminiscent of the harmonic styles of female singing groups of the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s; a welcome from Colin Basran, Mayor of Kelowna; a touching presentation from Chief Roxane Lindley, Westbank First Nation, a former athlete and coach herself; all these and more cram into the evening’s events. And then, back to our respective motels and lodgings for an early night to rest up for the athletic events of the next three days.
This year there are 32 sports represented, from archery to dragon boating to swimming, to mountain biking to whist, and all the rest in between.
Teams are grouped into 12 zones. Sunshine Coast is part of the Lower Mainland Team – Zone 4. Of the 19 swimmers on our Zone 4 Team, nine come from the Coast.
Of these nine, we collected 49 medals: 22 gold, 17 silver and 10 bronze. Our two oldest Coast members – one male, one female – competed in the 80 to 84 age group. There’s plenty of life left in us yet!
Our group practises twice a week at the Sechelt Aquatic Centre. Pre-planned workouts are followed over the course of our hourly sessions. With up to 12 swimmers sharing three lanes, strict lane etiquette has to be maintained. However, newcomers learn quickly and soon become part of the regulars. We are always looking for new recruits.
– Submitted by Jack Adams
