Whitehorse Daily Star

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GOLDEN SWIM – Sue Chambers of Whitehorse won gold Wednesday in the 50-metre breaststroke for the 70-plus age class at the senior games. Photos courtesy of TEAM YUKON

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ON THE MONEY – Maureen Caley Verdonk of Dawson City competes in lawn bowling Wednesday at the Canada 55+ Games. Photos courtesy of TEAM YUKON

Maritime kitchen party scheduled for tonight’s entertainment at 55+ Games

Apparently age doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to Team Yukon’s medal count at the Canada 55+ Games in Saint John, N.B.

By Chuck Tobin on August 23, 2018

Apparently age doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to Team Yukon’s medal count at the Canada 55+ Games in Saint John, N.B.

Whether it’s in the 55-year-old plus category, the 65+, 70+, 75+ or even 80+, the medals just keep coming.

Yukon athletes have tallied 37.5 medals in the first two days of Games, with more events still to come today, Friday and Saturday.

The competitive and recreational cycling teams, for instance, pulled in a combined eight medals yesterday, including two gold.

Tagish competitive cyclist Louise Girard won gold in the 65+ time trial event while Gail Craigen of Marsh Lake pedalled to top spot in the 70+ time trial event for recreational cyclists.

Yukon swimmers accounted for seven medals, including a gold by Sue Chambers of Whitehorse in the 70+, 50-metre breaststroke.

The track and field team – the largest with a roster of 21 athletes – raked in 20 medals, including seven golds.

John Hall of Watson Lake won three of those, competing in the 80+ 50-metre dash, 100-metre dash and the 80+ long jump event.

In the 60+ age category, Brenda Dion earned two more gold to add to her gold on Tuesday in the five-km run, with victories in the 50-metre and 100-metre races.

Donna Jones added to her silver from Tuesday’s 5-km run with a gold in the 60+ 400-metre race while Hank Leenders won gold in the javelin event for the 80+ class.

“Today there is a whole bunch of events going on,” co-chef de mission Marg White said in interview this morning from Saint John. “We just brought a bunch of people to their events.”

Among them, she noted, was the Yukon’s minister responsible for sport, John Streicker, and his partner Ewa Dembek, who were about to play for bronze in the mixed doubles badminton competition.

Lawn bowling was continuing, and Dawson City’s team of Bonnie Barber and Maureen Caley Verdonk are having a blast, at least that’s what it sounded like in this morning’s interview, with team New Brunswick and team Saskatchewan listening in by speaker phone.

“We have made some great shots and we improved our play each game even if the score doesn’t show it,” said Barber.

“The are awesome,” came a voice from New Brunswick.

Barber said they’ll begin playoffs tomorrow morning, after tonight’s Maritime kitchen party for the almost 2,000 athletes.

Word is there’s going to be some fiddling, and possibly even some jigging.

“Everybody will be there from across Canada,” said Barber, who’s been to all the 55+ Games since Whitehorse hosted the event 2004.

Tuesday night it was a sock hop, with women dressed in their poodle dresses and saddle shoes to twist and shout to the sounds of the ’50s and ’60s.

“Elvis was there.”

Verdonk, at her second Games, pointed out she and Barber are a club of two in Dawson, and they would really, really like to have more lawn bowlers come out.

“Bonnie and her husband (Chuck) have really inspired me,” she said.

The Yukon has sent the largest team ever to the Games, with 138 participants, supported by some 25 cheerleaders.

Tom Parlee, president of the Yukon’s Elderactive Recreation Association, explained earlier this week the association currently has 750 members but they expect the number to hit 1,000 in the next two years.

Parlee won bronze yesterday in the 70+, long jump event.

And how do you get half a medal? Team up with an Ontario partner for men’s doubles in darts. That’s what Gary Hewitt of Whitehorse did. They split the bronze.

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