A number of Comox Valley athletes contributed to the Vancouver Island-Central Coast’s top place in the medal standings among eight zones at the 2022 BC Summer Games. Prince George hosted the multi-sport event from July 21-24. The Games featured about 2,300 of B.C.’s top young athletes (average age 14) who competed in 18 sports.
Comox Valley athletes comprised half of the Zone 6 team that won silver in girls rugby. They include Sophia Julien, Monique Vinnedge and Sadie Williams of Courtenay, and Shayla Stigant, and Brooke and Paige Horsfall of Comox.
Also from Comox, Damian Orr won a gold medal with the boys basketball team, Rachel Anderson won a sailing gold in girls laser radial, Sarah Armstrong won silver in mixed team golf and Maile Wesner won a bronze on the track in the girls 300-metre hurdles.
From Courtenay, Erika Burry won a gold medal in girls javelin — repeating her result in the junior girls division at the B.C. High School Track and Field Championships. Kris Fournier won a silver in boys lacrosse, Payge Doty-Brown earned a silver in the girls hammer throw (and a BC Summer Games leadership bursary), Gillian Galik (an outstanding Nordic skier) won a bronze medal in girls pentathlon and Thomas Macdonnell won bronze in boys javelin.
Island athletes won a total of 165 medals. The Fraser Valley zone was second with 133 total medals won.