55 Plus Summer Games is about more than sports

Alberta 55 Plus president Dave Finn was in an upbeat mood in Brooks Sunday morning.

The 2023 55 Plus Summer Games had just concluded the night before, and Finn was one of almost a thousand people—athletes, officials, volunteers, and their spouses—coming away happy.

“We had over 800 athletes, about 940 people last night at our banquet. So it was really good,” he said.

The Games brought participants from all over the province, many of whom qualified for Canada Games in Quebec City in 2024. More qualifying events for winter sports will be held in the coming months.

Finn said the aim of the 55 Plus movement is grassroots participation, and activities are set to resume for all athletes, not just those bound for Quebec.

“We can’t stop just because the games are over,” he said. “We have to keep that momentum going. I mean, my mantra always has been about beating the drum.”

He said seniors’ sports are great for athletes’ physical health, but the social benefits of participating are at least as valuable.

“I think the participation and the gathering of friends and everything is probably more important than the competition itself,” he said. “I noticed that at venue after venue that I visited, the people were more interested in seeing people they haven’t seen since the last set of games or whatever. Then, ‘oh, by the way, we have to compete against each other, if that’s okay.’

“So I really think that’s the draw. Especially for seniors, it’s that feeling of being a part of something bigger than the sport itself.”

Chief Wilton Littlechild shares that sentiment. As a Chief, a former Member of Parliament, a member of the Order of Canada and the Alberta Order of Merit, a member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and a King’s Counsel lawyer, Littlechild (“Willie” to his many friends) doesn’t need the bragging rights that come with his gold medal in swimming in the 75+ age group.

Littlechild was an accomplished athlete in his youth, and has Bachelors and Masters degrees in physical education. He returned to swimming to help him recover from hip surgery.

He says sport has the power to help heal our bodies, but also our communities.

“I started swimming at 55 Plus to try and heal my injuries,” he said. “But secondly, and more importantly, to try and encourage more Indigenous participation, not only the 55 and over, but a special message to the youth, the Indigenous youth in all our communities who are sometimes taking a negative option, maybe taking their own lives or getting into addictions.

“There’s a better, positive option and that’s through sport, doesn’t matter which event in sport, but it’s a positive option to encourage our youth to get into that area of activity rather than, as I say, the negative option.”

After his race on Saturday, Littlechild spoke about the importance of reconciliation before leading two dozen people in an informal “Reconciliation Swim” of two lengths of the pool.

“In the case of reconciliation, it’s a tremendous act through sport to have better relationships with each other,” he said. “Non-Indigenous, Indigenous, or just Indigenous to Indigenous, I have found over the years since my participation on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that sports really has that power to bring us together.

“But the message I think underlying all of that is we need to work together for true reconciliation to happen.”

The northeast Alberta region competed as Zone 7 at the games. The 57 Zone 7 participants came home
with nine gold medals, three silver, and one bronze. Activities are set to resume at local seniors’ clubs and recreation facilities.

Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games participants

Bocce – Suzanne Doyle, Maxine Price, Meg Price, Marie Routhier.

Contract Bridge – Margaret Baguley, David Clennett.

Cornhole – Robert (Bob) Latty, Mary Ann Latty.

Cribbage – Jerome Bourassa, Diana French, Ron Myers, Darcie Wasyluk, Dawn Prawdzik, Kevin Ulrich.

Floor Shuffleboard – Cheryl Palko, Peter Palko.

Golf – David Benoit, Kelly Mutter, Grant Meiklejohn, Basil Churko, James Steinhauer, Dennis Moosewah, Hugh Pettipas, Carl Quinn, Susan Lentz, Michele Robitaille, Karen Cumming, Manon Rheaume, Patricia Sevcik, Lois Bienvenue, Jane Stroud.

Military Whist – Carolyn Deford, Victor Nowosad, Jessie Nowosad, Elsie Quickstad.

Pickleball – Blain Muzichuk, Darlene Smith, Mark Harty, Roy Fairweather, Don Fluney, Gord McNeill, Daryl Crooks, Janet Elliott, Bev Jones, Brian Shiller, Sandra Mallet, Marilyn Noble, Robin Acton, Judy Hardes,

Pool – Leslie Steinhauer, Dale Ball, Wilfred Collins, Phyllis Collins.

Swimming – Paul Odell.

Track & Field – Jim Storch, Ed Storch.