Page 5 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 6

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55 Local Athletes to Compete

in 55+ Winter Games

By Staff work, preparation and determination. If
seeing something special helps you to
Sport is a game of numbers, and achieve that, then more power to them.
athletes, as a rule, tend towards
The Ontario 55+ Winter Games take
superstition when it comes the elusive place from February 26-28 in Ontario’s
quality of luck.
cottage country and they feature a
With that in mind, you’d have to full range of winter sporting events.
excuse the 55 Cornwall and area athletes The local contingent consists of two Fifty-five people from Cornwall and area are off to Hunstville, February

who will be heading off to Huntsville,
men’s hockey teams, a mixed curling 26-28, to compete in the Ontario 55+ Winter Games. The local contingent
Ontario later this month to compete in team, Nordic skiers, alpine skiers, and consists of two men’s hockey teams, a mixed curling team, Nordic
the Ontario 55+ Winter Games. If they skiers, alpine skiers, and prediction skaters. A representative group is
prediction skaters.
thought that just maybe the numbers We often look at sport as an activity for seen in photo above (attached), which includes, from left: Bea Jones,
seemed to be lining up pretty good, who’s the young, but events like this show that of Cornwall (Nordic skiing), Linda Vickers, of Alexandria (alpine skiing),
going to argue with them? Luck is the Dave MacDonald, of South Glengarry (hockey), Graham Vickers, of
age is just a state of mind. The games go
name often given to the end result of hard on as long as you have the will to play. Alexandria (alpine skiing), Sharon McCullough, of Cornwall (prediction
skating), and Stephanie Hill-Nicholls, of Casselman (alpine skiing).

Gold desired by all

By Richard Waldroff

Mankind has chased this shiny material for reasons to numerous for listing. Gold represents
wealth, stature and more recently the highest level of achievement. It is interesting to view the history
of medals and how they have crept into athletic events as recognitions of accomplishment.
There is evidence that the history of awarding gold, silver, and bronze dates back to 1884. As

for the Olympics, the 1904 Summer games was the first use of this combination, prior to that
sliver was the top metal awarded.
I have had the good fortune to have attended two World Junior Hockey events, both held in

Canada. They were in Ottawa in 2009 and Saskatoon in 2010, and both were exciting beyond
imagination. The Ottawa event burns deepest because of being local, and for my having the
opportunity of working on the organizing committee. There were hundreds of volunteers who
combined their efforts with only one goal in mind: Ottawa will be the best event ever.
Immediately after the announcement of the tournament being awarded to Ottawa, interest,

excitement and enthusiasm started to build. Emails were flying around, phone calls made and
messages left, all asking, “how can I get involved?” We knew as an organizing committee that

hundreds of support staffing would be required, but exactly where, how and who was a long way
off from anyone deciding. A strong demand for tickets needed immediate attention, and the Ottawa Senators management team

swung into action putting together packages, which were quickly gobbled up almost two years in advance of the first puck drop.

At this stage little did any of us know what the importance of this event was going to be to Canadians. Knowledge of the
Canadian win record was not known, who suspected the Ottawa event would be “The Drive for Five” – five consecutive gold

medals, something never done before.

Anyone who attended the games is well aware of the thunderous crowds that filled the rinks; our fans seemed to have a favourite

regardless who was playing. Of course the home team games filled to capacity, and, I think, a bit more. The sound was deafening,
and when silence fell upon the fans, one waited in anticipation of the next eruption. The Canadian players, when destiny was at

its darkest, found what it took to pull out a win; I have nothing but respect for any athlete who puts it all out there for his fellow
Canadians.
The end results of all the combined efforts was a gold medal, but after all, was that not the direction we had in mind all along?
Keep your stick below your waist.