Eighteen Yukoners medal at the 2010 Canada 55+ Games in Ontario

A drove of Yukoners traveled east to Ontario to represent the territory at the 2010 Canada 55+ Games held in Brockville and the 1000 Islands from Aug. 23-28.

A drove of Yukoners traveled east to Ontario to represent the territory at the 2010 Canada 55+ Games held in Brockville and the 1000 Islands from Aug. 23-28.

Eighteen returned to Whitehorse this week as medal winners.

The spirit of the games, however, touched each of the 117 Yukon athletes who participated.

Approximately 1,530 people aged 55 and over competed in the games in 19 core events, ranging from athletic competitions, such as track and field, swimming, hockey and slo-pitch, to mental challenges like bridge, scrabble and cribbage, as well as two Open Canadian Championships: five and 10-kilometre road races.

The medal winners from Whitehorse are as follows:

Steve Duncan won four gold medals in the men’s 55+ 50-metre freestyle, 50m breaststroke, 100m individual medley and 100m freestyle, and a bronze in the men’s 55+ 4x50m relay.

Barbara Phillips won three silver medals in the women’s 65+ 50m backstroke, 100m breaststroke and 100m individual medley, and a bronze medal in the women’s 55+ 4x50-m relay.

Jim Coxford won a gold medal in the men’s 65+ 100m backstroke, a silver in the 100m freestyle and two bronze medals in the 100m breaststroke and 100m individual medley.

Roddy Dale won two gold in the 50m backstroke and 100m backstroke, and a bronze in the men’s 60+ 100m individual medley.

Ken Burke won a silver in the men’s 55+ lawn bowling and a bronze in the 55+ mixed-gender lawn bowling.

Judy Lightening won two bronze in the women’s 55+ lawn bowling, and mixed-gender lawn bowling.

Merton Friesen won a silver medal in the women’s 55+ track and field 400m race.

Chris Duncan won a silver in the women’s 4x100m relay.

Marla Veliscek won a bronze in the women’s 55+ 1000m race.

Gary Hewitt won two silver in the men’s 55+ darts, one in singles and the other for doubles.

Eileen Bird won silver in women’s and doubles lawn bowling.

Austin Bradford won a bronze in the 75+ low gross 18-hole golf.

Allan Fozard won in the 18-hole golf Calloway.

Arla Repka and Susana Edwards won silver in women’s 55+ doubles badminton.

Three competitors from outside Whitehorse also brought back medals to the Yukon.

Mayo’s Hilda Tuck won bronze in the 70+ mixed-gender shuffleboard with partner Bill Simpson.

Paul Dabbs of Tagish won three silver medals in the men’s 60+ 50m backstroke, 100m freestyle and 100m individual medley, and two bronze in the men’s 60+ 50m freestyle and 4x50m relay.

Gail Miller-Craigen from Marsh Lake won three silver in the track and field 60+ age category, in the 1500m, 3000m and 4x100m relay.

David Kalles from Watson Lake won four gold in the track and field 70+ age category, in the 400m, 800m, 1500m and 3000m.

The Canada 55+ Games began in 1996 and are a nationwide program to sponsor wellness – spiritual, mental and physical well being – among Canadians 55 years and older. The Games are held every two years, and combine competitive physical activities and mental challenges.