Ruth and Rene Leblanc play darts at the Forest Grove Legion every Saturday and have recently competed in the BC Senior Games in Kamloops, Aug. 20-24.
Ruth has played darts for more than 50 years and it's a real passion for her. Both she and her husband, Rene, have competed in the games before and Rene has won a medal but this time it was Ruth's turn, as she won a bronze medal in mixed doubles darts.
Ruth says her medal is prettier and shinier than her husband’s. She is also the co-ordinator for Zone 9 darts and wants to encourage folks to come out and give darts a try at the Legion because they're always looking for new members.
She says people are never too old to compete and anyone in any physical condition can play. She's speaking from experience because she had a stroke a few years ago and it has left her with limited use of one arm and a slight limp.
With some funding from the provincial government, the BC Seniors Games were established in 1988 and aimed to encourage British Columbia's 55-plus population to stay active and healthy. Approximately 3,500 B.C. seniors attend the annual games. Some folks want to set records and others want to achieve their personal bests, but most of them come to participate in friendly competition and meet up with friends they've met over the years.
There are 25 different sports to compete in, and if you are 55 plus and a B.C. resident, you are eligible to compete in the games. There are some fees and you may have to qualify in your zone, but some sports have unlimited space. You may choose to support a zone participant and still take in the social aspect of the competitions.
Zone 9 (North Central) was represented by 299 people in the 2013 games, the largest group from the zone ever, winning 55 gold medals, 45 silver medals and 35 bronze medals.
These games are run by volunteers, so if you aren't interested in competing then you can offer your time and excitement to the volunteer field. You can volunteer in your zone or offer your services at the games level if the games are being hosted by your community.
The next BC Seniors Games will be held in Langley, September 9 -14, 2014. You can find all the details on the website www.bcseniorsgames.org. You may also contact Bev Iverson, sports chair person, at 250- 791-9286 or Ruth LeBlanc, zone 9 co-ordinator at 250 -791- 7348.
So there you have it, you've got time to pick out a sport, start training and plan to compete in next years BC Seniors Games.
School in session
Forest Grove Elementary School principal Shawn Nelson says he is excited about the upcoming school year.
The beginning of the school year saw 42 children enrolled at the school and that's 14 more than last year. Some of these new students are from the Buffalo Creek Elementary School, which closed by the school board in June, and some are new to the area.
Shawn says they will be juggling some spaces to make room for the students to study and receive their lessons.
He teaches kindergarten to Grade 3 and says his classes have grown in size and he is looking forward to guiding all of his students through the school year.
The school’s newsletter will be coming out soon and there are plenty of activities planned to make for an exciting school year.