It’s just being played out now, but talk about a great ‘what I did on my summer vacation story’: Parksville’s Terry ‘’Boomer’ Brown, 52, is in Torino, Italy this week competing on the soccer pitch at the 2013 World Masters Games, being held Aug. 2-11.
According to reports, an estimated 50,000 athletes and fans from around the world will converge on Torino. Held every four years, over 30,000 participants competed in the 2009 WMG’s held in Sydney, Australia. Brown played in that one as well.
Second only to the Olympic Games in terms of participants for an international event, the 2013 WMG’s will feature 28 different sports to be staged at 72 venues scattered throughout the provinces of Piemonte.
The 15 core sports of the summer World Masters Games are archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, canoeing, cycling, football (soccer), field hockey, orienteering, rowing, shooting, softball, squash, table tennis, and weightlifting. The organizing committee may choose to activate up to another 15 optional sports at their discretion.
Italy marks the eighth edition of the major event, the competitions are open to anyone from the age of 35 (25 for swimming and diving).
Just over 22,000 competitors participated in the 2005 WMG’s in Edmonton — beneficial spinoffs from the games were estimated to be over 100 million dollars.
According to Boomer’s longtime friend and Shady Rest Eagles’ teammate Jim Cameron, “Terry is a key member of our club. Not only an outstanding player, but he also organizes and manages the over-48 squad. He is a quality person and as a player, quick and has a powerful shot that has stung many goalkeepers hands.”