Jeannine Palardy claimed two silver medals in swimming at the Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games held in Barrhead and Westlock from July 25 to 28.
She was among eight Olds participants who claimed 13 medals at the event. Palardy medalled in the 75-plus women's 50-metre freestyle and the 75-plus women's 100-metre freestyle. She stopped the clock at one minute, 14 seconds and 79 one-hundredths of a second and 2:59:54 respectively.
Other Olds participants who medalled included Debra Morrison, who claimed a silver in the 55-plus co-ed slo-pitch, Jim Waiting, Barry Moore and Martin Jorgensen who each claimed silver as part of the 65-plus men's slo-pitch team, Gertrude Ferguson, who claimed silver in arts and crafts, Jorgensen who also claimed silver and bronze in arts and crafts, Jean Strocher who won a silver in 55-plus women's horseshoes, and Wayne Ferguson, Raymond Miller and Morley Jones who all claimed bronze as part of the men's 70-plus slo-pitch team.
Palardy said she had a lot of fun at the games.
“It went very well. We don't have enough swimmers going from this zone but maybe that will get better in years to come,” she said.
Palardy said the games ran extremely smoothly, thanks to all the volunteers.
She attended previous games in Camrose and Wetaskiwin.
“The competition is not all that tough. But for the ones that go, they have a great time,” she said.
Arvin Bull, who competed in the predicted walk, said he enjoyed himself immensely, as he has done during the other five times he's gone to the games. The predicted walk is a two-day event in which competitors walk one kilometre each day, much like a multi-day cycling race. Bull finished about 30 seconds behind the winner.
“Most of the people who participate are very anxious to go to the games one way or another. If they don't succeed in qualifying in the zone for one (event), they just move on to other things and keep going until they win the right to go to the games. And that says a whole bunch about the games,” he said.
Olds was part of the Zone 2 team, which finished with 54 medals. Zone 5, which includes the host communities of Westlock and Barrhead topped the medal standings with 126 medals.
