Five Lakelanders are heading off to Winnipeg next week as part of Team Alberta for the Canada Summer Games.
Held for two weeks between July 28th and August 13th, Team Alberta will be sending 344 athletes, 52 coaches, 23 managers and team support staff and 19 mission staff to compete in all 17 sports featured.
From Bonnyville, ENDHS student Natalie Thompson will be competing in the various jumping events. She was ranked umber one in Women’s Triple Jump at the Alberta Indoor Games in February.
The Lakeland is apparently a hotbed of softball talent too. Pitcher Tobie Opikokew of Onion Lake, outfielders Kayle and Davis Houle of Goodfish Lake and infielder Willey Keaton of Lac La Biche all made the cut for the provincial team.
The Canada Games are coming up on their fiftieth year after first being held in Quebec City in 1967. Like the Olympics, they’re held every two years alternating between summer and winter games. It’s not uncommon to have athletes appear in a Canada Games, and then compete for Canada in the next Olympic Games.