The recent Kamloops 2013 B.C. Seniors Games, Aug. 20-24, saw a strong contingent from the 亚洲天堂 Lake area show up to represent north central B.C. Thirteen 亚洲天堂 Lake athletes joined 75 others from the zone 11 (Bulkley Valley -Lakes District) region stretching from Hazelton to Vanderhoof. Athletes from Gransile, Topley, Houston and Fort St. James also joined the foray.

The B.C. Senior Games is organized into age group categories from 55 to over 90. Twenty-five sports and activities were open for competition with close to 4,000 seniors participating, and 1000 volunteer support workers.  Kamloops This Week reported these games to be the best-attended event in Senior Games history.

Medals multiplied over the course of the games for local athletes: Wilf Dueck brought home a gold in golf;  Kay Saul returned with two silver medals in the women鈥檚 5 km and 10 km walks; Sandra Barth brought home two silver medals in 5 km and 10 km walks; Gerda Feldmann hoisted a bronze in the women鈥檚 10 km walk; John Barth took bronze in the men鈥檚 5 km walk; and Boni Lambert and Diane Killman have bronze medals for their Whist playing prowess.

Whist is a seventeenth century card game using a standard 52 card deck. Two players work as partners in the four-person game similar to Bridge but without bidding.

The returning athletes described the competition as keen and tough.

鈥淚t certainly wasn鈥檛 a walk-over,鈥� said Sandra Barth. 鈥淭he competition is tough, but it鈥檚 a very social event. It鈥檚 a lot of fun.鈥�

Six of the thirteen competitors from the 亚洲天堂 Lake area were first-time participants in the games. Out of the 88 athletes who traveled to Kamloops as part of zone 11, 32 medals were brought home.

Wilf Dueck, after only three years of 鈥榯aking golf seriously鈥�, returned with a gold medal in men鈥檚 low gross golf.

He credits the success with a steady three days a week of golfing in Houston, as well as helpful tips and instruction he鈥檚 paid close attention to along the way.

If there was a medal for spirit of the North, Konrad Feldmann would have won it.

During the pre-race inspection of his bicycle, the official noted that his rear wheel was a little off-true and was rubbing the brake pads as it spun. This is a disqualification for the rider.

鈥淚 tried to straighten the wow in the wheel in a steel grate, but that didn鈥檛 work,鈥� Feldmann said. 鈥淪o I trimmed the brake pads down so they wouldn鈥檛 rub anymore.鈥�

Next year鈥檚 B.C. Senior Games are planned for Sept. 9-13 in Langley, B.C.