Two Bonnyville athletes returned home with gold medals after coming out on top at the 2014 Canada 55+ Games.
Claudette Roy competed in Women's Golf winning a gold in the Low Gross 65+ category.
“I didn't expect to do as well as I did. I felt like my game was not really up to par, but I came through,” said Roy.
Ninety-one-year-old Willie McGregor competed in three different events winning gold medals in the 85+ Javelin and 85+ Shot Put to go with the silver he picked up in the 85+ Discus.
“I didn't expect to win. I expected to go and play,” said McGregor. “You never know if you are going to win or not.”
Roy and McGregor were two of the 2,200 athletes to descend on Strathcona County for the National event. Athletes from Newfoundland to B.C. and north to Nunavut, ranging from 55 to 103-years-old, spent Aug. 27 to 30 competing in a variety of different events.
“It was enjoyable,” said Roy. “When you are playing at this type of event, you are not necessarily playing with your own competitors. They mix you all up. It is really about participating and meeting as many people as possible.”
Roy played with two fellow entrants into the 65+ category on the first day and then had the chance to play with other golfers on the final day of the two-day tournament. She ended up winning the 65+ category by ten strokes.
“I was pretty proud of that,” said Roy, who has golfed for about 20 years.
McGregor, on the other hand, just decided to pick up javelin, shot put and discus in the summer. He went into the games with about a year of experience in the events.
“I practiced this summer at my cabin. I got the equipment and practiced up. I threw a three-kilogram ball in the shot put, a two-kilogram disc in discus and a 400-gram spear in the javelin.”
He also enjoyed the opportunity to meet a wide variety of people from across the country.
“It is fun to go to these events and meet people from all over Canada,” said McGregor, who is unsure if he will be attending another Games.
“It is a wait and see. When you are 91-years-old you have to take it one day at a time.”
The combined four medals won by Roy and McGregor were part of 27 medals picked up by the 30 competitors from the Zone 7 region who attended the games.
Some of the other local winners include: Daisy Fraser of Cold Lake who won a silver and two bronze medals in Women's 60+ swimming; Maida Baskerville of Cold Lake who won Gold in Women's 75+ golf; Mark Krevenky, Doreen Lafreniere, Patricia Swedgan, Molly Yurkowski of St. Paul who won bronze in 75+ team bowling; and Faye Smith and Del Smith of Elk Point who both won bronze medals in bowling.
Alberta was the top province in the event picking up 334 medals beating second place Saskatchewan by 210 medals.
