Six Peninsula youth are Kamloops bound this week for the Western Canada Summer Games.
The Western Canada Summer Games, held every four years, brings together athletes competing from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, and Nunavut.
The games include a wide array of events in athletics, rowing, soccer, volleyball, beach volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis, golf, baseball, canoe/kayak, softball, triathlon, wrestling, cycling, field hockey, rugby, gymnastics, and swimming.
Local track athlete, Casey Atkin, has been training all year in 400m, 200m, and the 4x400m relay with the Pacific Athletics Club and is looking forward to the games.
“As athletes, we train really hard all season, so to get to go to the Games and compete is amazing,” said Atkin, who hopes to medal in the 400m event.
Her rigorous training schedule and part-time work as a Camosun College woodworking apprentice keep her busy so she is also looking forward to finishing out the season for a few weeks’ rest.
“Training six, sometimes seven days a week and working is hard on the body but I love woodworking and I love track so I keep both in my life,” laughed the Stelly’s graduate who also has hopes of studying marine biology in the future, ideally while on a track scholarship.
The Western Canada Summer games will mark the end of the season for Atkin and her teammates before they take a few weeks off, and they’re hoping to go out with a bang.
“We have been getting some amazing times in our relay team so we’re really hoping to medal well in that event too,” she said. Atkin and Danielle Delage, both of which are from the Peninsula and train with Pacific Athletic Club, will compete against other track and field athletes from all over Western Canada. Atkin will compete in the 400m and the 4x400m relay and Delage will run in the 200m, the 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles, and the 4x400m relay.
Other young Peninsula athletes who will attend the Games include Sean Carnduff and Graham Obee who will compete in the men’s pairs, fours, and eights rowing events.
“We’re really hoping to get some good results at the games,” said Carnduff who has only been rowing for just over a year. “We’ve had a great season so far, so we’re confident we can perform well.”
Carnduff graduated from Parkland secondary in June and will be attending UVic this fall with plans to join the university’s rowing team.
Other athletes attending the games for rowing events include Jessica Stewart and Michelle Aylard.
The Western Canada Summer Games end Aug. 14