Up significantly from years past, 174 athletes and supporters representing 14 communities within the Cowichan Valley took part in the 2025 55+ Games in Nanaimo Sept. 10 to 13.
The opening ceremony for the games was held Sept. 10 at Serauxmen Stadium, and participants from every zone filled the stands to see and hear drumming, music, dance, speeches, and the torch lighting in the ballpark's infield.
Cowichan Valley Regional District communities represented included Malahat (1 athlete), Mill Bay (11 athletes and supporters), Shawnigan Lake (11), Cobble Hill (23), Cowichan Bay (9), Duncan (69), Lake Cowichan (10), Youbou (1), Honeymoon Bay (5), Westholme (1), Crofton (3), Chemainus (18), Saltair (2), and Ladysmith (42).
The final sports and games competitions concluded Saturday, Sept. 13, marking the end of four days of events in Nanaimo, Duncan, Nanoose Bay and Parksville.
Medallists from the region were aplenty and included:
Gold:
Barbara Bradford (Saltair; pickleball)
Susan Hawkes (Crofton; pickleball)
Nola Hendrie (5) (Chemainus; pentathlon, hammer throw, pole vault, shot put, throws pentathlon)
Lesley Christy (Cobble Hill; 100m breaststroke)
Shirley Moore (2) (Chemainus; pickleball)
Wayne Tajii (2) (Chemainus; pickleball)
Dan Klashinsky (Ladysmith; pickleball)
Gretchen Dunn (Ladysmith; pickleball)
Leslie Park (Mill Bay; equestrian)
Bev Mathieson (Duncan; equestrian)
Anne Muir (3) (Cowichan Bay; equestrian)
Sue Kosh (Cowichan Bay; equestrian)
Karen Kloske (Lake Cowichan; golf)
Mark Chambers (Duncan; golf)
Brian Lundberg (Honeymoon Bay; golf)
Deb Graham (Duncan; tennis)
Mike Rasmussen (2) (Duncan; tennis)
John Rudzik (2) (Youbou; 1500m race walk, 5000 power walk)
Robin King (Duncan; 200m dash)
Patricia Margaret Radcliffe (6) (Lake Cowichan; 50m, 100m, discus, javelin, shot put, 4x100m mixed relay)
Lynn Thompson (5) (Duncan; 50m, 100m, 200m, long jump, triple jump)
Lori Brown (Duncan; lawn bowling)
Vicki Hankins (North Cowichan; lawn bowling)
Victoria Strikers (Cowichan; soccer)
Dale Benham (Duncan; pickleball)
Rachelle McGergor (North Cowichan; tennis)
Colin Owens (Duncan; tennis)
Kim Ott (Duncan; tennis)
Silver:
Sheila Bateman (North Cowichan; 5000m)
Marjorie Gibson (Westholme; pickleball)
Sandy Dillabaugh (Shawnigan Lake; pickleball)
Denise Myhre (Duncan; pickleball)
Andre St. Cyr (Duncan; pickleball)
Mark Baker (Mill Bay; Archery)
Robert Mari (2) (Shawnigan Lake; tennis)
Denise Kinvig (2) (Chemainus; equestrian)
Mark Kloske (Lake Cowichan; golf)
Michael Gagnon (Cowichan Bay; golf)
Ian Cocks (Duncan; golf)
Cheryl Martin (North Cowichan; golf)
Todd Lefebure (Chemainus; golf)
Tina Pace (Duncan; golf)
Richard Schroeder (Duncan; golf)
Ralph Powell (Duncan; golf)
Barbara Coulle-Sterling (North Cowichan; tennis)
Robin King (Duncan; 400m)
Sheila Bateman (2) (North Cowichan; 400m, 5000m)
Nola Hendrie (2) (Chemainus; discus, 4x100m women's relay)
Sandra Reeves (North Cowichan; badminton)
Brian Cryer (North Cowichan; badminton)
Mark Habazin (Duncan; tennis)
Ken Blatherwick (Duncan; tennis)
Gary Goodfellow (Lake Cowichan; carpet bowling)
Bert Lambert (Honeymoon Bay; carpet bowling)
Jana Martell McGuinness (North Cowichan; equestrian)
Bronze:
Brian Cryer (North Cowichan; badminton)
Denise Myhre (Duncan; pickleball)
Sharon Pearse (2) (Duncan; pickleball)
Daniel Audet (Duncan; Pickleball)
Lesley Christy (Cobble Hill; 100m backstroke)
Cowichan Classics (Cowichan; soccer)
Janet Harder (Duncan; golf)
Russel Harder (Duncan; golf)
Valerie Grainger (Duncan; golf)
Jennifer Fox (Cowichan Bay; table tennis)
Robin King (2) (Duncan; 50m, 100m)
Nola Hendrie (2) (Chemainus; 50m, 100m)
Tim Hendrie (Chemainus; high jump)
Sandra Reeves (North Cowichan; badminton)
Island Knights (Cowichan; hockey)
Kim Ott (Duncan; Tennis)
Rachelle McGergor (North Cowichan; tennis)
Mary Longcroft (Duncan; cribbage)
— With a file from Greg Sakaki
