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Local athletes return with hardware from games

Summer games in Sherbrooke, Quebec a success for Peninsula athletes
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Casey Atkin (left) battles against opponents from Manitoba and Ontario during the summer games in Sherbooke Quebec. The games ran from Aug. 2 to 17.

A handful of Peninsula athletes have returned from the Summer Games in Sherbrooke, Quebec with some new hardware to show off.

The games, which ran from Aug. 2 to 17, saw thousands of athletes from all over the country gather in Sherbrooke to battle for the national top spots.

Casey Atkin, who competed in the 400 m (7th) and 4 x 400 relay (2nd) during the games still came out with a medal and a positive outlook despite an injury in her leg during one of her last races.

"My final race for the 400m on Thursday didn't go as planned, mentally I was prepared, I felt very determined. Going into my last race of the season felt a little surreal, and when the cameras from TSN were on me at the start line, I thought, 'jeez this is big stuff', but sadly I couldn't make a strong finish because of an injury in the back of my leg," explained Atkin.

Thankfully, due to a physio treatment following the 400m race, Atkin was still able to run anchor for the 4 x 400 relay the next day.

"Our relay team was ranked first going into finals, but we knew our best chance was probably silver or bronze because Alberta's final team was going to be very strong," she said.

"I was definitely was hesitant to race. I didn't want to let the team down if my leg was too painful. I went in scared but so driven, I wanted the silver so badly and so did the team."

And silver it was for the team made up of Atkin, Sarah Ann Sawatzky from Chilliwack, Raquel Tjernagel from New Westminster and Devan Wiebe from Vancouver.

Team B.C. mens' 4 x 400 relay also took the silver with Brendon Restall who also hails from Victoria.

Danielle Delage from Brentwood, who competed in the heptathlon during the games, placed fourth, and Deborah Snell from Brentwood snagged the gold in both women's rowing quad sculls and women's light weight double sculls with teammate Keira Flanagan from Sidney.

Rower Michelle Aylard, also from Sidney, also took gold in both the female four with her team and the female eight with coxswain.

Full results from the games can be found on the website at www.jeuxducanada2013.ca/en/.