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Team Yukon made many memories at the 2022 Canada 55+ Games in Kamloops recently.

The Games took place Aug. 23-26.

The Star spoke with the chair of the Yukon Organizing Committee, Brenda Dion, after the Games.

鈥淭hey were fabulous and what made them so fabulous I think is the camaraderie, the spirit, the enthusiasm, first of Team Yukon 鈥� which is always so evident at the Games 鈥� and then of course from the other contingents too, in some of the events that I was able to get to and participate in. Just to see how the contingents were always so warm and welcoming and the host was welcoming, so it was really fun.鈥�

The team won a whopping 74 medals.

鈥淚 really honestly didn鈥檛 have any sense of how it would go because it always depends on who shows up at the Games and who the competition is, I guess,鈥� said Dion. 鈥淭o me, it鈥檚 a fantastic result and then when you look at some of the highlights of where some of the teams were very very successful, we had an outstanding performance, I鈥檇 say.鈥�

There were many highlights for Dion during the Games.

鈥淭he first highlight was the opening ceremonies. To be part of that parade, to have 143, 150 of us walking in together, led by our flag-bearer, who was Bryan Craven and the banner carriers, Dave Brekke and Paul Dabbs 鈥� it鈥檚 always an emotional experience. We鈥檙e going in singing, we鈥檙e waving our Yukon flags and we鈥檙e just a sea of this red, black and white colour 鈥� that鈥檚 pretty special to me.

鈥淎nother highlight to me was the Team Yukon kitchen parties that began so spontaneously on Wednesday night at the Games with just a few people 鈥� coming into headquarters, singing some songs and then someone coming in with a guitar. And then the second night, maybe we had 30 people there ... and then on the third night, I鈥檓 hearing while I鈥檓 out at the park, that there鈥檚 people waiting at the headquarters for the kitchen party to start and I鈥檓 pretty sure that night we were close to 60 people in the room ... I think that鈥檚 going to become a new Team Yukon tradition.鈥�

The track and field team captured a large number of medals.

鈥淭his year, we got, I think, 34 medals in the track and field and then two more medals in the Five Km run. So that鈥檚 a significant number,鈥� said Dion. Two of the medals were won by Sheila Senger, who won silver in the 75+ 100 Metre Sprint and gold in the 50 Metre sprint.

Stan Marinoske and Bruce Beaton also were the first to medal for the Yukon in Duplicate Bridge, scoring silver in the event.

鈥淲e were so pleased that we were able to enter a team into that event and quite excited to know that they had actually done so well,鈥� recalled Dion.

Despite not medaling, a Yukon cribbage team was also a big hit.

鈥淚 was told if there was a medal for the most friendly and entertaining team, our team of Dina Grenon and Helen Bowie from Dawson would have got that medal. Apparently they had every table laughing in the games that they played,鈥� related Dion.

The swimmers also stood out.

鈥淲e had five swimmers in that event and all five of them medaled,鈥� said Dion.

The slo-pitch team also won a game (that wasn鈥檛 by forfeit) for the first time ever.

There were also 70 new participants on the team this year. According to Dion, that鈥檚 a significant number. About 25 of them were in the dragon boat event.

鈥淪o many people were down by the river just to watch this beautiful sight of seeing these people 鈥� they鈥檇 line up and then enter down into the boat in a certain sequence and then they鈥檇 take off. It was wonderful to see that,鈥� recalled Dion.

Madeline Boyd, 90, the oldest Yukoner, participated in Carpet Bowling.

In darts, in the Mixed Doubles, John Hadvick didn鈥檛 have a partner, so partnered up with Gloria Allen from Inuvik and won gold.

On the curling ice in the 55+ Men鈥檚 Championships, Yukon achieved a remarkable feat by scoring seven in the fifth end against Saskatchewan en route to a 10-4 win.

Dion said the relentless heat of Kamloops had an effect on the Yukoners.

鈥淚t certainly affected us on the track and we were lucky that we had brought a shelter that we put up for shade all day. The volunteer at the track 鈥� he actually put on the sprinkler hose so that folks could go in and out if they wanted to cool off. And we actually have a picture 鈥� at the awards ceremonies, there was a big post, like a light post, near that area and you see a whole line of people just standing in that shadow of the post for shelter.鈥�

Dion added 鈥淚 should also highlight the mission team that was there and ran that headquarters and had it set up so well for everyone. They did a terrific job too.

鈥淚t was really, truly a great event. I want people to know about that and I want more people to join up and be part of it.鈥�

Speaking of which, the next 55+ Games take place in Trois-Rivi猫res, Quebec in 2024.

鈥淚 think they鈥檒l look wonderful,鈥� said Dion. 鈥淚t鈥檚 in Quebec. How fabulous is that, that we鈥檒l get to go to Quebec. I鈥檓 already hearing thoughts about 鈥楬ey, maybe we should get together and do a few French lessons for people, so we know how to speak the language a little bit better when we鈥檙e there.鈥�

鈥淲e鈥檝e had people say 鈥榊eah, I can鈥檛 wait, I want to try something different. Maybe we鈥檒l come to the track team鈥� or 鈥業 hope they have dragon boat there鈥�, so I鈥檓 hearing some excitement about 2024 already and we have to get a much bigger headquarters room. If we鈥檙e going to start having these kitchen parties, we better make room for everybody.鈥� Dion added 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking forward to our post-Games gathering on Oct. 20. Get together and reminisce; have some fun.鈥�