Friendly competition underway at the 2022 55+ BC Games

Nearly 2,700 athletes have travelled to Victoria from around the province to take part in the 2022 55+ BC games.

This week, the stakes are high for both Wei Xiao and Bob McCauley at the Victoria Horseshoe Club as they look to bring home the gold on home turf.

“It’s a very good chance for us, you know, to host the people in our homes, right here in our home club,” says Xiao.

The two are no strangers to the game, both travelling year-round to compete at the national and international levels.

McCauley recently claimed the Canadian Championship Title after winning 14 straight games in High Prairie, Alta. back in August.

“Horseshoe is a game where you can have your good days and your bad days, and you know sometimes you win and sometimes you come in second,” says McCauley.

The pair are looking forward to some friendly competition over the next couple of days.

This is the first time in 34 years Victoria has played host to the 55+ BC Games, which will see nearly 2700 athletes travel to the Island to compete, all thanks to the roughly 900 volunteers that make it possible.

The Games are put on by the BC Seniors Games Society, a volunteer based charitable organization.

This week athletes will go head to head in soccer, lawn bowling, archery, and 19 other sports held at various venues across Greater Victoria.

The games offer the 55-plus community the opportunity to celebrate sport and active living while encouraging community and comradery.

“If you see people in your community who are 55-plus, 65-plus, 75-plus who are active, they’re jogging, they’re swimming, they’re diving, they’re riding a bike, they encourage others to get out and doing something,” says the President of the Games, Michael O’Connor.

The Games go until Saturday and are free to attend. A full schedule of events can be found here.

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