It is some stiff competition at the Prince Albert Housing Senior Olympics this weekend.
The games kicked off yesterday with shuffleboard and pool.
Germaine Gaudet and Noel Amyotte were the shuffleboard team for Mitchell Place
“We got silver last year, we’re hoping for gold this year, but we’ll take what we can get,” Gaudet said.
It is the only event the pair is competing in.
“We are looking forward to competing again. We think we learnt a few tricks last year, but whether we apply them, make them work that’s our challenge here,” Amyotte said.
While the pair took home silver for the second year in a row, this time succumbing to Sherman Tower, they were not disheartened.
“It’s kind of luck of the draw. There are some very talented players, but depending who they are playing against, they can knock each other off and we can come up sometimes with the lesser famous shots and still win,” he said.
Jessica Gale, tenant relations for the Prince Albert Housing Authority, said today’s events are cribbage, darts and kaiser.
“It’s mainly the games they are playing in their buildings already, so it is nothing new to them,” she said.
This year is the second time the tenants have decided to take part in the games. They started them last year during the Olympics in Vancouver and they went over so well they brought them back.
“They are getting pretty excited over it all,” she said.
Gale added it’s about more than just a couple of days of fun and games.
“We aimed for our programs and our activities to draw people out so that they get to mingle and they get some social interaction,” she said.
“You have some people that really don’t get out, so this way we have activities in the building it gives them a chance to meet new people. Some of them really don’t have an interest in leaving the building so it gets them out of their suites.”
She said they had “well over 100” people attend last year and they are hoping to get even more out this year. With about 30 at the first event, they are well on their way.
klavoie@panow.com
