Strong showing for Manitoba at Canada 55+ Games

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Published on Friday, September 2, 2016

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The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

Team Manitoba 2016 returned home Aug. 20 from the 2016 Canada 55+ Games in Brampton, Ontario. The team of 108 participants ranging in age from 55 to 95 experienced the fun and friendly competition of the national Games in Brampton from Aug. 16 to 19. Approximately 1,700 athletes from all across Canada participated in this year’s 20th anniversary parade and games.

Team Manitoba brought home an impressive total of 54 medals: 28 gold, 19 silver and seven bronze, surpassing Team Canada’s medal count at the Olympics! There was a medal sweep in Scrabble. There was also a gold medal sweep in 5-pin bowling by three teams from Steinbach, while Vivian Oswald, of Neepawa, took bronze in the 65+ singles bowling. Sonia Gamache and Helen Sweetman of Laurier/Makinak won gold in cribbage. The oldest male athlete at the games, 95-year-old Jack Widdicombe of Russell, took gold in gross golf.

Manitoba athletes participated in 16 of the 20 events, including golf, bowling, bridge, cribbage, curling, slo-pitch and track. This was also the second year for pickleball players and a Manitoba hockey team.

Special events included the opening ceremonies on Tuesday, evening entertainment and closing dinner and dance on Friday. Jack Widdicombe was recognized as the eldest male athlete, along with a 97-year-old female from Saskatchewan, who won a gold medal in the 85+ bowling category. The Games president also announced that the host community for the 2018 Canada 55+ Games would be St. John, New Brunswick.

All Team Manitoba participants need to be congratulated for qualifying and for participating in the 2016 Canada 55+ Games. They’re all winners for proving you’re never too old for fun and games!