Most are over 75 years old but age has not kept members of the Island Spirit from being competitive in hockey.
The Island Spirit old timers hockey team, which consist of players from Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Nanoose Bay, Port Alberni, Nanaimo and Ladysmith, represented Zone 2 at the 55+ BC Games and came home with shining gold medals around their necks.
With the exception of goaltender Dave Ronalds of Port Alberni, all the members of Island Spirit are over 75 years of age. They won the men’s 75+ division by beating teams from the Fraser Valley, Victoria and the Okanagan.
The Parksville Qualicum Beach players were Donald Campbell, Ted Dash, Ron Dufault, Bob Carpenter, John Ogle, and Doug Hall. Nanoose Bay was represented by Andy McNally.
Parksville swimmer Linda MacPherson made a big splash in the women’s 75-79 age group, collecting five individual gold medals and two more golds in team relay events.
Zone 2 finished fifth in the overall standings with 125 golds, 89 silvers and 59 bronzes. The various communites in the Parksville Qualicum Beach area were well represented, with a number of athetes bringing home medals. Congratulations go to the following athletes. From the Bowser area: Joyce McCraig and Bruce McCaig (floor curling); Michael Lohse (soccer).
Coombs: Peter Giesbrecht (horseshoes); Hildegard Buschhaus (track and field).
Errington: George Harm (badminton); Norman Joyce (slo-pitch); Roger Jinks (soccer).
Nanoose Bay: Norm Bohl and Andy McNally (hockey); Trish Anderson (horseshoes); Debby Morgan (pickleball); Marie Morton (slo-pitch); Keith Watson (soccer); Elaine Johnston (tennis); Jess Brewer, Joe Giegerich, Frank Johnston, Terry Riggins and Patti Rogers, (track and field).
Parksville: Tedd Ducker (darts); Terri Cunningham (dragon boating); Michelle Kraeling and Dave Woolman (golf); Donald Campbell, Bob Carpenter, John Conacher, Ted Dash and Ron Dufault (hockey); Gary Richardson (soccer); Barbara Kenno, Linda MacPherson, Russell Sharock and Laszlo Simon (swimming); Jack Laramie (track and field).
Qualicum Beach: Gordon Lundine (floor curling); Paul Connor (cycling); Tap Ahonen, Fred Lepper, Lorraine Lepper, Wendy Pearce and Brenda Stewardson (floor curling); Wayne Brown and Arlene King (golf); Doug Hall and John Ogle (hockey); Peter R. Kucey (horsehoes); Greg Corbett, Steve Gilmour and Ann McVey (slo-pitch); Dietmar Baumeister-Quint, Terry Brown, Alan Farmer, John Hayley, Mark Lane and Jim Wilson (soccer); Tom McGregor and Mary Sluyter (swimming); and John Hylton-Foster (tennis).