Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
Thousands of B.C.’s best young athletes, along with coaches and officials will gather in the City of Abbotsford for three days of intense competition at the 2016 BC Summer Games July 21-24.
Many former BC Games competitors have gone on to participate in national and international competitions, including the Canada Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. More than 25 BC Games alumni will soon compete for Team Canada at the Rio 2016 Olympics including: Kirsten Sweetland (Triathlon), Richard Weinberger (Swimming), William Dean (Rowing) and Bo Hedges (Wheelchair Basketball).
The Government of British Columbia is proud to support these Games with $600,000 in base funding provided to the BC Games Society.
See below to learn about four B.C. athletes who will be competing in Abbotsford and their journey to the Games.
Cassidy is an active young race walker from Langley.
LeeAnn is an enthusiastic softball player from Castlegar.
Liam Connon & MacKenzie Connon
The Connon siblings are both competing in the their own events these Games and are from Prince George.
(flickr.com) "I was trying out different track events wanting to figure out what I was good at. I decided to try out race walking because a friend had been doing it. Coincidentally, I met Race Walker Evan Dunfee (former BC Summer Games athlete headed to Rio 2016 Olympics for race walking) at an event and this sparked my interest even more. Once I decided to pursue race walking, I realized I had a natural ability to do it and with hard work, I could be good at it. This made me more motivated and passionate about it."
"My goals for the Games are to have fun, meet new people and improve in race walking."
(flickr.com) "My goal for these games and in sports is to always play the best I can, to never give up even if I feel like quitting, and play every game likes it's my last. I want to improve my athletic performance because there are always new things to learn."
(flickr.com) "I did my first triathlon when I was 9. It was a hot day. I was in the lead for my age group through the swim, the bike and run. When I was only meters from the finish line, I buckled over with bad cramps and ended up finishing second. This was a lesson in the importance of hydration and looking after my body. Now, when any of my coaches say the word "hydrate", I reach for my water bottle and often find myself reflecting on that day."
"My first goal is to do my best, no matter what happens. My second goal is to have fun."
(flickr.com) "I once suffered a severe concussion from an accidental fall and it was sport that helped me to recover. My coaches were patient and encouraged me to methodically go through all the phases of recovery to avoid setbacks. The Kids of Steel triathlon in Prince George would be my first real opportunity to push myself in an effort to qualify for these Games. The competition was strong, and to be honest, I was not confident in my abilities. With my family, and my ski coach cheering me on, I did it! It felt so good to be back in the game."
"My goal for these Games is to prove to myself that I can compete in a meaningful way in the sport of triathlon. I will have to do my very best."
Learn more about the BC Summer Games: https://www.bcgames.org/Games/BCSummerGames.aspx
