Six Mission athletes won gold medals at the BC Summer Games last week in Maple Ridge.
Overall, Missionites claimed 19 medals at the Games with eight gold, seven silver and four bronze.
Justin King and Paul Potma emerged as the most decorated Mission athletes at the Games in the Special Olympics swimming competition, winning gold, silver, and bronze medals.
King won seven medals, including two gold, two silver and three bronze. Meanwhile, Potma took home six medals, including two gold, three silver and one bronze.
Meanwhile, a pair of Mission softball players got to the top of the podium in the girls' softball division. Cassidy Kennedy and Holly Ross helped the Fraser Valley (Zone 3) squad to a first-place finish.
The Fraser Valley squad also won the box lacrosse tournament, which held games in both Mission and Maple Ridge. Mission’s Joshua Brooks and Judah Kruger helped that team to gold.
"It was a great experience to be a part of and to be able to show our skills off to scouts and show them that there are skills in a small town and to come off with an undefeated victory was really awesome," Brooks said.
Kruger was glad to represent Mission.
"It was a great experience to be able to play with and against the top players in the province," he said.
Mission’s Daven Varcoe and Josiah Allen also claimed silver medals in field lacrosse.
Wins and losses weren’t the only aspect of the Summer Games experience.
Beach volleyball athlete Birpartap Dhillon had the chance to be a torchbearer during the opening ceremony.
"It was a super fun experience. It was nice meeting a bunch of new people and making new friends. The opening ceremony was really cool," Dhillon said.
Meanwhile, the Fraser Valley girls’ soccer team featuring three Mission players, Calla Nguyen, Maclaine Vos, and Caitlyn Fernandez, will also treasure their experience on and off the pitch.
“I’m really glad that I went because I made connections with my teammates and other people that I met there. It was lots of fun hanging out with and bonding with my teammates,” Nguyen said.
Vos said she would do it again and wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
“Getting to be an athlete really changed my perspective of a lot of things. Especially my performance on the pitch,” Vos said.
Fernandez says she was a bit nervous at first but they quickly went away.
“I had a fun time and made new friends with people from other zones,” Fernandez said.
Over 20 Mission athletes participated in the Games, as well as coaches and officials.
NOTE: Due to delayed result updates on the BC Summer Games website, the version of this story in the July 26 edition of the Mission Record contained incorrect information. While initially listed as silver medalists in field lacrosse, Adam Foote, Case Bromba, Masen Hooper, Beau Nicoll, and Nolan Kerr were on the Fraser Valley (Zone 3) A team that didn't reach the podium. Paul Potma medalled six times rather than three and Justin King medalled seven times rather than twice. The overall medal total of 14 was also incorrect and the Record is working with BC Games to confirm the new total of 19.
