Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows had numerous seniors competing and winning medals at the Abbotsford 2023 55-plus BC Games, which were held on Aug. 22 to 26.
Probably the most amazing was Maple Ridge’s Ronald Huckerby, as the super senior won eight gold medals. Competing in the mens age 90-94 track and field events, he won gold medals in the 100m, discus, shot put, weight throw, hammer, long jump, javelin and 50m race.
Huckerby was at the first BC Games in Vernon in 1988, and is now 94. He has won more than 100 medals.
“I got to an age where I didn’t have very much competition,” he said. “I went to a lot of seniors games where I didn’t win anything, but I’ve always enjoyed it, and I’ve always enjoyed the people.”
He started off in the sport of badminton, then later switched to track and field. It’s more demanding, but he’s not planning to retire from athletics yet.
“I’m 95 next year, and if I’m healthy, I’ll try it again,” he said. “I’ve been saying that I’m going to run the 100 (metres) when I’m 100.”
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There were numerous other locals who also mounted the podium in Abbotsford:
• Rodger Huckerby, Ronald’s son, took track and field medals in the mens 55-59 class, including silver in discus and weight throw, and bronze in javelin.
• Peter Daniels gold in men’s 70-74 400m freestyle, and 100 m breaststroke, 50m breaststroke
• Paul Scanlon silver in men’s 70-74 400m freestyle, gold in 50m and 100m freestyle
• Anne MacDonald silver in women’s 80-84 50m breaststroke, silver in 50m backstroke, gold in 25m butterfly
• Myriam Schanofski gold in women 80-84 50m butterfly, 100m medley, 200m medley, silver in the 100m freestyle, silver in 25m butterfly and gold in the 100m backstroke
• Renee Kinnear bronze in women 65-69 50m breaststroke, gold in the 100m breaststroke, 100m individual medley,
• John Convey gold in men 85-89 100m backstroke; 25m butterfly; 100m, 50m and 25m freestyle
• Michelle Montague was on the gold medal women’s 55-plus slo pitch team, and Barb Collis was on the team that took silver.
• Chris Perret was on the gold medal winning mixed 55-plus slo pitch
• Sherri Fort and Sheila Plummer were on the gold women’s 65-plus slow pitch team
• Myron Doherty and Wesley Mader were on the gold medal winning mens 55-plus hockey team
• Scott Gillies and Todd Langston were on the gold medal winning mens 60-plus hockey team
• Mal MacAlpine won silver in the men’s 75-plus hockey
• David Kubek and Harpreet Virk took gold in the 55-plus mens soccer
• Don Mitchell and Jerry Hastie took bronze in the men’s 65-plus soccer
• Suzanne Playdon and Adele Cloete took bronze in the women’s 65-plus doubles pickleball
• Debra Hay won silver and bronze in women’s 55-59 cycling events.
• Victor Phillips took gold in men’s 55-74 golf.
• Bonnie Finnegan took bronze at womens 65-74 snooker.
• Ron Antalek took gold in the mens 60-64 5 km race, and silver in the metric mile.
• Darrell Swanson took bronze in the mens 70-74 100m race.
• Ken Townsend took silver in the mens 75-79 discus and bronze in both the weight throw and pentathlon.
• Competing in equestrian events, Deborah Murray took silver and Bridge McGuire bronze in dressage
• Rose Tarvin and Richard Harmston took gold in pickleball mixed doubles.
• Pin Li and Tammy Mack won bronze in women’s doubles pickleball.
• Sue Scott won gold in women’s 60-plus hockey.
• Mark Booth took silver in mens 70-plus hockey.
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