Active Aging

SPRING 2021 | ACTIVE AGING 3 BY JIM TIMLICK T he Manitoba 55+ Games has produced many magical moments during its 38-year history. Still, a case could be made that no single year in the multi- sport competition's history has produced a more unique event than the one that will get underway beginning June 14. For the first time ever, the Games will be held virtually. This past March, Games organizers with Active Aging in Manitoba (AAIM) decided to pause the event for the second year in a row as a result of restrictions for in-person gatherings that were imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the cancellation didn't come as much of a surprise, numerous participants expressed their disappointment to Games officials. "All the participants kept asking us if the Games were going to be cancelled. We could hear the disappointment in their voices when we finally h a d t o s a y y e s t o t h e m , " s a y s G a m e s coordinator Karyn Heidrick. " We k n e w t h e d e s i r e w a s s t i l l t h e r e . We k n e w t h e y w e r e l o o k i n g f o r s o m e t h i n g . We got together and said let's give them something that's fun and challenging and allows them to stay meaningfully engaged with the Games." And thus, the first-ever virtual Manitoba 55+ Games were born. This year's virtual Games will take place between June 14 and July 16 and will feature 14 events, including: a three- kilometre predicted walk or run; a one- kilometre Nordic walk; nine and 18-hole golf; cycling; bocce ball; horseshoes; arts and crafts; racquet sports ( p i c k l e b a l l , badminton and tennis); and so-called brain games (cribbage, whist and Scrabble). "It's pretty exciting for us," Heidrick says of the prospect of staging the Games virtually for the first time. Anyone interested in taking part in this year's virtual Games will be able to register by filling out a registration form that will be available on the AAIM website (activeagingmb.ca) or by calling the organization's offices (1-866-202-6663). Each participant will then be provided with a tracking sheet that will allow them to chart dates, times and any other relevant information from the activities they participate in. Once they've completed their events, they can return their forms to the AAIM offices which will then be entered into a random prize draw. While the regular in-person event usually takes place over three days, the virtual Games will be spread out over five weeks. Manitoba 55+ Games committee co- chair Lois Dudgeon says organizers felt a single weekend simply didn't offer enough time to make a virtual event feasible. She adds that one of the pluses of the longer format for this year's event is the fact it will allow people to do events at their own pace. Cycling is one of the most popular events at the 55+ Games. Courtesy Active Aging in Manitoba Karyn Heidrick 55+ Games Go Virtual VIRTUAL GAMES: JUNE 14 – JULY16 TO REGISTER: ONLINE: ACTIVEAGINGMB.CA PHONE: 1-866-202-6663 CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

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