Oshawa, Ontario - The 2010 Senior Games Actifest has wrapped up for another two years and excited participants are already looking forward to the 2012 Games to be held in Brampton, Ontario. This year was a major success as Oshawa played host to the games, providing a beautiful backdrop for the over 1200 participants who competed in eighteen different sports and events. Now before we dive any deeper into this story, let's make one thing clear. The Actifest is full of young at heart, healthy, active individuals resembling that of a much younger generation. In fact referring to this event as the "Senior Games" is surreal considering that many of these participants could easily match up and beat someone 10 to 20 years younger, in their particular sport.
Senior Community
The Oshawa University was set up as the Athletes Village. This state of the art facility was a wonderful place to accommodate the athletes, providing first class amenities with the youthful feel of a university setting. With many travelling from all over Ontario, dorm style suites offered great convenience for visitors who had a kitchenette, 3-piece bath, cable, local calling, internet access and voicemail. "Much nicer than a lot of hotels I have stayed at!" said Sheila Goodrich from Simcoe County, as she left The University Residence Centre early on Wednesday morning with pompoms in hand! "Got to go and support the team," she laughed as she made her way onto one of the awaiting buses.
For those who are not familiar with this athletic test of skills among the senior community, The Ontario Senior Games were first held in 1968 and hosted by the city of Kitchener. The tremendous response from the first event built the framework for years to come, establishing the name "Actifest" to be held bi-yearly on even-numbered years. In 1999 it was announced that a similar event in the winter months would be held, aptly named "Winterfest," the first of these being hosted by the city of Collingwood in 2000 to great success. This year marks twenty years that senior athletes from all over Ontario have competed in Olympian style games, setting the bar for generations to come!
Many of the games at this year's Actifest are no walk in the park, physically demanding sports such as Cycling, Nordic Walking, Swimming, Slo-Pitch, Tennis and Pickleball(a new addition this year!) were all on the card. Some others which take a lot of mental prowess and years of mastery include Lawn Bowling, Bocce, Horseshoes, Bid Eucher, Cribbage, Darts, 5-Pin Bowling and Contract Bridge. This diverse list of events shows us that the competitive spirit is still very much alive within the senior community around Ontario. Their dedication to healthy and active living sets a standard for years to come.
Some highlights from this year's event include the introduction of Pickleball. With great interest, over 70 competitors packed the Oshawa University gymnasium from all different districts of the province. A big congratulations goes out to the Durham Slo-Pitch team, who won Gold by defeating Etobicoke by a score of 7-0 in the championship game. Supporting their sponsor, http://www.PropertiesInDurham.com, it was an amazing win in their home town.
The Lawn Bowling green was quite competitive as over 65 players filled the field at Northview Community Centre. "We are very happy to host this year's events!" Actifest volunteer, avid Lawn Bowler and Durham resident, Gord Terwillegar told us. "This field here, is the same one used by our Junior Bowls Champs, such as Dillon Jackobs from London and Kaitlin Ryan from Kitchener who has competed internationally," he said, "the Senior Games bring increased awareness to a variety of sports, which help to get the younger generations interested and involved." A true statement to say the least, as upcoming athletes get a chance to see just how far the roots go in these long standing events.
The closing ceremonies finished things off as athletes and their families attended a beautiful dinner put on by OSGA,(Ontario Senior Games Association) in which there were guest speakers and recognition given to those who helped make Actifest what it is today. As things wound up, the atmosphere felt similar to those days as a youngster when summer vacation was coming to an end. The look on everyone's face showed what a great time they had, yet the disappointment that it was all over. "Went by fast," a woman said to me as she left the auditorium, "see you in two years!"
With Actifest finished and the champions having been crowned, we look forward to 2012, when the Games will be held in beautiful Brampton, Ontario. We caught up with the Brampton District #19 Slo-Pitch team who were instrumental in bringing the games to their hometown. "We are very excited to be hosting the Senior Games Actifest in 2012, we put a lot of work into securing our bid," member of the team and Senior Transportation Consultant Emil Szinegh told us. "Now we will be working on the preparation," he laughed, "it's going to be a lot of fun!" If this year's Actifest is any indication, this event will grow to be bigger and better with every year that passes.
A big thanks to everyone who had a part in making the 2010 Ontario Senior Games - Actifest, the best one yet! Our hats go off to the athletes who competed in this year's events. You are all role models for the youth of today! Your involvement in the community while leading healthy, active lifestyles, has laid the footprints for younger generations to follow. The high standards set since the games began, has only continued to rise. These seniors certainly prove that records were made to be broken.
