Among a couple of Sundre residents who took part in the recent inaugural Alberta Masters Games was a local senior who teamed up with her twin sister in the tandem canoe race.
“We certainly were the most senior ladies there,” said Bev Hallett, 68, from Sundre, whose sister Faye Hallett, from Red Deer, convinced her to race.
“I wanted to do the Rocky race with her to celebrate our 68th birthdays,” said Faye, an experienced canoer.
Faye used to regularly compete in the Muskeg Cup on the upper Red Deer River from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s with her late life partner of 42 years, John Velchk.
In 1985, Faye embarked on a cross-country canoe trip, starting in Rocky Mountain House and ending in Montréal, a roughly four-month trek that involved 67 portages along the way. Faye even won some gold medals with John at the world masters level.
“Faye has been a life-long competitive canoer. She can’t get enough of it,” said Bev, who had previously paddled when she was younger but never at a competitive level.
“I’ve never raced before,” said Bev.
“I thought this would be an absolutely perfect birthday gift,” said Faye.
“We came in second. I’m really glad we did it,” she added.
The games were held Aug. 22-25 in Rocky Mountain House, with more than 600 volunteers helping make the event possible.
“It was good, the people were lovely — the canoeing community is lovely,” said Bev.
“We can’t wait to go again in two years, if they have it,” she said.
Bev said she couldn’t turn down her sister’s request, and didn’t express the slightest hint of regret for agreeing to go, despite at one point inadvertently taking a dip in the water.
“We went for a swim,” she said, adding, “It was the first time I’ve ever gone for a swim while canoeing.”
Even so, the twins successfully recovered and managed to go on to win a silver medal.
“Our time wasn’t that bad,” said Bev. According to the Alberta Masters Games website’s results, the twins clocked in at 57 minutes and eight seconds.
There were some strong competitors, she said, “but everyone was supportive and friendly.”
She also praised organizers and volunteers who invested the effort in making the games possible.
“That’s something I’m going to take away, is those interactions with people.”
Bev also enjoyed the opportunity to test her limits, pushing past her comfort zone to go as fast as possible for as long as possible, and offered some advice to encourage other seniors to stay physically active.
“Don’t let age be a barrier.”
Faye said she has always been passionate about exploring areas accessible largely only by canoe that few people have had the opportunity to set eyes upon. She said she enjoys “getting out and getting away from it all. It becomes a way of life.”
Given the chance, she hopes to again compete in the Alberta Masters Games, which are expected to be hosted every other year. The next host community has yet to be determined.
Casey Leszynski, a local pharmacist who just took up paddling earlier this summer, also decided to register for this year’s inaugural event. She decided she wanted to give it a try when a member of the Sundre Paddling Club encouraged her to consider participating.
Casey Leszynski, third from the right, a local pharmacist and outdoor enthusiast who earlier this summer took up paddling, competed last month in the inaugural Alberta Masters Games in the voyageur canoe race as well as the tandem canoe race. The event was hosted by Rocky Mountain House. Submitted photo
Leszynski competed in the six-person team voyageur canoe race as well as the two-person tandem canoe race in the male-female under 45 age category. The races went fairly well, she said, adding her voyageur team, which was made up of others who had registered individually, placed fifth out of 10 teams. She and her assigned paddler in the tandem canoe race placed fourth out of five teams.
“I’m not a huge competitor, I just went out to have fun,” she said.
The timing and location of the second Alberta Masters Games will determine whether she can return, but Leszynski hopes to be back provided the stars align.
When asked what she most enjoys about the sport, she said, “It’s fairly exhilarating if you can get up into rapids.”
Additionally, exploring different rivers always offers something new and different, she said.
“It’s a nice way to see the local scenery and get a new perspective,” she said, adding, “I’m fairly outdoorsy, so it’s just one more thing I can do in the outdoors."
