It's a heck of a lot harder than it looks.

Team Yukon was handed the Spirit of the Games Award at the 2006 Canada Senior Games in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba last week. While some people might think a spirit award is rather easy to come by, that's not true, according to Cookie Morgan, the co-Chef de Mission for Yukon along with Sue Meikle.

'It's kind of hard to get actually, because every single team is enthusiastic about the Games,' Morgan pointed out, in an interview back home in Whitehorse Wednesday.

'I think everybody knows how to spell Yukon now.'

In a press release, Meikle said there was no doubt the Yukon seniors deserved the award.

From the very beginning, read the release, Team Yukon, comprised of 102 seniors aged 55 to 88, had the enthusiasm and spirit as they cheered their hearts out, lead by cheerleader extraordinaire, Diane Angelski. Angelski was apparently so loud they were sure they could be heard miles away.

At every Senior Games, a team is selected that demonstrates the true spirit of the Games, that is, the team that displays the most sportsmanlike attitude, that promotes and encourages active living and that fosters the camaraderie that goes hand in hand with these Games.

For most teams, it's not the medals that are so important, it is the opportunity to be involved in friendly competition with fellow seniors across the country.

Team Yukon stood out during the opening parade, said the release. As the team passed youngsters and seniors along the road, they began to run over to them and give them their Yukon flags. When they ran out of flags, they gave their pins, because 'it was just what Yukoners would do.'

The sideline wasn't the only place were Yukoners were impressive though, as they picked up 35 medals at the Games 15 of them gold.

'We did very well for our team size,' said Morgan, pointing out Yukon certainly didn't have the same numbers as teams like Alberta or Saskatchewan, who finished first and second in the overall medals standings with 258 and 138 medals, respectively.

With almost all of the trip to this year's Games paid for out of the seniors' own pockets, its understandable that not as many could compete in the 2006 events as the number that did when Whitehorse hosted in 2004.

The next Canada Senior Games, in 2008, will be hosted in Dieppe, New Brunswick, which is even farther.

But Morgan said all of the Yukon seniors are looking forward to Dieppe and she's confident the territory will be able to field a strong team.

Yukon medals at the 2006 Canada Senior Games were awarded as follows:

Arts & Crafts

Photography

Ruth Thom Bronze

Dorothy Burke Bronze

Woodworking

John (Corky) Repka Silver

5-pin Bowling

Mixed 65+ Team

Yukon Silver

Ray Magnuson

Jules Morgan

Evelyn Neave

Lois Taylor

Ida Calmegane

Singles

Men's 65+

Bill Simpson Gold

Women's 65+

Lenore Ford Silver

Cycling

Women's 70+

10-kilometre Time Trial

Nesta Leduc Gold

15-kilometre Road Race

Nesta Leduc Gold

Floor Curling

Women's 55+

Yukon Bronze

June Raymond

Eileen Boyle

Hilda Tuck

Jean Kurtin

Women's 70+

Yukon Bronze

Vimy Cooper

Peggy Duncan

Rosalie Rogers

Marlene Sudeyko

Golf

Women's 55+ Net

Ev Pasichnyk Gold

Swimming

55+ Open

200-m Mixed Relay

Yukon Silver

Marg Dunn

Marjorie Crawford

Roddy Dale

Paul Dabbs

Men's 55+

50-m Back

Roddy Dale Gold

100-m Back

Roddy Dale Gold

100-m IM

Roddy Dale Gold

50-m Free

Paul Dabbs Gold

100-m Free

Paul Dabbs Gold

Men's 65+

50-m Back

Jim Coxford Gold

50-m Free

Jim Coxford Gold

Tony de la Mare Silver

100-m IM

Jim Coxford Gold

Tony de la Mare Silver

100-m Free

Tony de la Mare Gold

Men's 80+

50-m Free

Rut Boots Silver

Women's 55+

100-m Predicted

Millie Jones Bronze

200-m Predicted

Millie Jones Bronze

Women's 60+

50-m Back

Marjorie Crawford Gold

50-m Breast

Marjorie Crawford Silver

50-m Free

Majorie Crawford Silver

Track & Field

Men's 55+

Discus

Tom Parlee Gold

Shotput

Tom Parlee Gold

Javelin

Tom Parlee Silver

Women's 65+

1,000-m Predicted Walk

Merton Friesen Gold

400-m Predicted Walk

Merton Friesen Silver

Whist

55+ Open

Diane Angelski

and Viola Barnett Silver