With the countdown to the Cowichan 2018 BC Summer Games less than a year away, three community sports leaders have proudly accepted the title as Honourary Chairs.
“Bill Keserich, Lynne Beecroft and Richard “Bear” Peter are recognizable names in the sporting community, with impressive careers in soccer, field hockey and wheelchair basketball,” explains Cowichan 2018 BC Summer Games President Jennifer Woike. “When we approached these community leaders to help support young athletes, they didn’t hesitate in continuing their commitment to mentoring our youth.”
Bill Keserich is a Cowichan’s soccer icon, long-time president of the Cowichan Valley Soccer Association and a major advocate for sports and youth in the Cowichan Valley. A whole generation in Cowichan learned about the fun and benefits of sport because of Bill’s dedication.
Lynne Beecroft had a brilliant playing and coaching career in the sport of field hockey. She made the UVic women's field hockey team as a mid-fielder in 1975 and remained on the team until 1979. Her speed and tenacity earned her the nickname "Buzz." Her record as the UVic field hockey head coach is even more impressive: 11 gold medals, eight silver and seven bronze since her appointment in 1984.
Richard “Bear” Peter became a staple of Team Canada since first making the Senior Men’s National Team in 1994. His athletic repertoire includes back-to-back Paralympic gold medals in 2000 and 2004, a Paralympic silver medal in 2008, a third Paralympic gold medal in 2012, and a world championship title in 2006. He is a proud Cowichan Tribes member and was the only First Nations athlete on Canada’s Paralympic Team in Beijing.
Communications and Media Contacts:
Local Contact
Jennifer Woike
President Cowichan 2018 BC Summer Games
Jenwoike@shaw.ca
250-709-5349
Provincial Contact
Lia Threlfall
Communications Manager
BC Games Society
liat@bcgames.org
250-812-3887 (mobile)