Thousands of B.C.'s best young athletes, along with coaches and officials will gather July 21-24 in the City of Abbotsford for three days of intense competition at the 2016 BC Summer Games.
Athletes will compete in 18 sports ranging from baseball to wrestling, including three events for athletes with a disability (athletics, equestrian and swimming). The 2,441 athletes will be joined by 479 coaches and more than 300 officials in the Fraser Valley's largest city.
The Comox Valley is sending a strong contingent to bolster the Zone 6 (Vancouver Island-Central Coast) entry:
Black Creek: Piper Doerkson, softball-girls, athlete.
Comox: Carley Buckley, athletics, athlete. Lauren Lineger, athletics, athlete. Jacob Volkers, baseball, athlete. Sherri Bohmer, basketball-girls, head coach. Ken Erickson, basketball-girls, assistant coach. Myah Erikson, basketball-girls, athlete. Rachel Anderson, sailing, athlete. Will Howard, sailing, athlete. Corbin Collett, soccer-boys, athlete. Tyler Griffith, soccer-boys, athlete. Sarah Bard, soccer-girls, athlete. Aisha Hunter-Bellaria, soccer-girls, athlete. Tiana Stewart, soccer-girls, athlete. Jonathan Christopher Drygasuk, swimming, athlete. Lynda Magor, triathlon, head coach. Cameron Christenson, volleyball-girls, athlete.
Courtenay: Angelique Kennedy, athletics, athlete. Caitlin Kristoff, athletics, athlete. Peter Greaves, basketball-boys, athlete. Macyn Leopkey Johnson, basketball-boys, athlete. Connor Lloyd, basketball-boys, athlete. Ryan Novecosky, golf, athlete. Colby Black, lacrosse-box, athlete. Les Black, lacrosse-box, assistant coach. Warren Dickie, lacrosse-box, assistant coach. Peter Parke, lacrosse-box, head coach. Andre Sutter lacrosse-box, athlete. Sara Kreeger, rugby-girls, athlete. Tyra Schaad, rugby- girls, athlete. Nate Bell, sailing, assistant coach. Jessica Reynolds, sailing, athlete. Spencer Fleming, soccer-boys, athlete. Dylan Robertson, soccer-boys, athlete. Ciara Halvorson, soccer-girls, athlete. Jeff Howe, soccer-girls, assistant coach. Sophie Laver, soccer-girls, athlete. Matt Thomas, soccer-girls, head coach. Lauren Wigard, soccer-girls, athlete. Lisa Wigard, soccer-girls, adult supervisor.
Cumberland: Shaina Friedman, sailing, athlete.
Denman Island: Louise Eriksson, rugby-girls, athlete.
Lazo: Jake Hooper, swimming-Special Olympics, athlete. Sofia Cecic, triathlon, athlete.
The Government of British Columbia is proud to support these Games with $600,000 in base funding provided to the BC Games Society. The City of Abbotsford, School District #34 and other partners have also contributed funding or in-kind services to help this event be a success.
To further recognize this important provincial celebration of sport and community development, BC Summer Games Week has been officially proclaimed to commence on July 21.
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).
Quick Facts:
* This is the 30th BC Summer Games and the second time the City of Abbotsford has hosted since the games debuted in 1978.
* Abbotsford also hosted the BC Summer Games in 2004, the 2002 BC Disability Games and the 2006 BC Seniors Games - now called the 55+ BC Games.
* July 21-24 has been officially proclaimed BC Summer Games Week.
* Participants represent eight geographic zones in the province.
* Roughly 2,500 community volunteers will be involved in the planning and staging of the games with support from the BC Games Society.
* BC Games alumnus and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, Brent Hayden of Mission, will speak to participants at the Opening Ceremony.
To learn more about the BC Summer Games visit: www.bcgames.org. To get the inside story via BC Games TV visit: https://www.bcgames.org/News/BCGamesTV.aspx