Team BC is ready to take on the best athletes in the country at the 2019 Canada Winter Games which open in Red Deer on February 15. 251 athletes, 46 coaches, 29 managers and technical support staff, and 23 mission staff make up Team BC and will proudly represent British Columbia at the Games. Competition will take place in 21 sports against teams from Canada’s 13 provinces and territories.
For many, the road to the Canada Games started with a trip to the BC Winter or BC Summer Games which are the first multi-sport experience for young athletes in British Columbia and an important stepping stone to competitions like the Canada Games and ultimately the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
BC Games alumni feature prominently on Team BC this year with 56% of the total team having a previous multi-sport games experience. 196 of the 349 members of Team BC have previously been to a BC Winter or BC Summer Games including 141 of the 251 athletes.
“It is remarkable to watch the progression of these athletes from competing at the BC Games to now representing British Columbia on the national stage,” said Alison Noble, President and CEO of the BC Games Society. “The large numbers of BC Games alumni is proof of the strength and coordination of the BC sport system and the commitment of the Provincial Sport Organizations to provide streamlined athlete development. I am looking forward to cheering on our alumni and seeing the results of Team BC.”
Athletes to watch at the 2019 Canada Winter Games include W.R. Bennett Award winner and 2016 BC Winter Games double gold medalist in cross country skiing, Molly Miller (Kimberley). Miller competed for Team BC four years ago at the 2015 Canada Games as one of the youngest in the field winning a silver medal with her relay team. Having attended international competitions such as the Junior World Championships earlier this year, she is now a contender for an individual medal at the 2019 Canada Winter Games.
Sherilyn Chung (Coquitlam) won six gold medals one year ago at the 2018 BC Winter Games in Kamloops. Chung is one of three Canadian Junior Women named to Speed Skating Canada’s NexGen Team and she skated at the Canadian Championships in Montreal in September 2018 setting her up for success at the 2019 Canada Winter Games.
Every member of Team BC’s wheelchair basketball team has competed at the BC Winter Games including Ben Hagkull (Chilliwack) and Joel Ewert (Prince George). These two athletes were also recognized at the BC Winter Games with a Coast Capital Savings Leadership Bursary for their contributions on and off the court. Having competed at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, these two athletes are co-captains and will lead their young team forward to these Games.
“Ben Hagkull (co-captain) and I will keep this young team grounded, but we also want to make sure they are enjoying the experience. It is finding that balance of taking in the Games and not being too tense but also being focused. This is an experience that not many people get to have in their lives and we have to take advantage of it,” said Ewert.
At the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Games, 19 athletes on Team Canada had previously competed at the BC Games or for Team BC including ski cross gold medalist Kelsey Serwa (2002 BC Winter Games and 2007 Canada Winter Games), bobsleigh gold medalist Justin Kripps (2002 BC Summer Games and 2005 Canada Summer Games) and para cross country bronze medalist Emily Young (2006 BC Summer Games and 2015 Canada Winter Games).
Justin Kripps is Team BC’s Honourary Captain for the 2019 Canada Winter Games and has provided the athletes with preparation information in a series called “Tips from Kripps.”
“Competing for Team BC at the Canada Games was the biggest event I had been to at that point in my career,” said Kripps. “All of a sudden you are at a national multi-sport Games and you are representing not just yourself and your hometown but your entire province. Canada Games is the experience of a lifetime. It will probably be the biggest event you have been to at this point. Enjoy the experience and go out there and do your best.”
BC Games alumni, who are part of Team BC, will be presented with a special recognition card and pin at the 2019 Canada Winter Games to symbolize their significant achievement.
At the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, Team BC finished third in the medal count with 88 medals and BC Games alumni won (or contributed to) 54 or 61% of Team BC’s medals.
Follow all the news, results, and stories from Team BC at the 2019 Canada Winter Games at www.teambc.org