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Archery sport lead Pat Wiun is right on target as a volunteer

Volunteer profile: Pat Wiun, Archery Sport Lead
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Volunteer profile: Pat Wiun, Archery Sport Lead

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Pat Wiun is ready to show Canada what central Alberta is made of.

With dozens of archery athletes, coaches and managers coming to Red Deer in 2019 from across the country, we need experienced sport leads to help plan the competition. Wiun is the archery Sport Lead with the 2019 Canada Winter Games and she’s excited to showcase young Albertan athletes and the central Alberta community.

Wiun’s role with the 2019 Games has a variety of responsibilities, including recruitment of sport-specific volunteers and managing equipment and the Field of Play at Games time.

Wiun is a lifelong central Albertan and has called Red Deer home for nearly four decades. Archery has been a passion of Wiun’s since her late husband introduced her to the sport in 1999 as something to do for fun and to relieve stress.

“I enjoyed it so much that I got into coaching and teaching kids and then I actually became a competitor myself,” Wiun said. “I went to the 2017 World Masters Games in New Zealand and it was awesome, it was pretty eye-opening.”

Wiun is a key figure in the local archery community. Beyond her coaching experience, Wiun helped organize the Mother of All Shoots archery competition. The event ran for 14 years until 2016 and attracted over 600 archers from across western Canada and the northwestern United States. She has also helped with the Alberta Winter Games archery competitions.

Her volunteer experience does not end with archery though.

“I volunteered with Festival of Trees when it first started getting going, I was involved when we had the Brier and Scotties Tournament of Hearts. Pretty much anything to do with sports, I have been involved with,” said Wiun.

When the 2019 Games opportunity came up, it was hard for Wiun to turn it down. It combined two of her passions: sport and her community.

“The Games is such a great experience. We are able to put on a show and show what central Alberta has for talent, and show Canada how spectacular Alberta really is,” Wiun explained.

In her two years as the Archery Sport Lead, Wiun has found the volunteer experience to be full of hard work. There is a significant amount of coordination between different departments and unexpected changes that come up. She credits the people she works with for making it worthwhile.

“You ask somebody to step up and they will give you a hand. You ask someone a question and they will get you the answer, even if they don’t know the answer right away” Wiun said. “You’re not just somebody that is a piece of paper or a name on an email. The more the sport team gets together, the more I see that this is really one big family.”

To host the largest event in the history of central Alberta, the 2019 Games family Wiun talks about will grow to over 5,000 volunteers at Games time. From transportation to food services, minor officials to bloggers, there is a role for everyone with the 2019 Games. Wiun is encouraging other central Albertans to be a part of our moment and showcase Alberta to the country.

“It is so satisfying to see the camaraderie, the love and the pride that we take in our community. I’m excited to show Canada what Red Deer is made of and I can’t wait to put on a world-class event,” Wiun said.

You can join Pat Wiun as a volunteer with the 2019 Games. Visit canadagames.ca/2019/volunteer to start your volunteer journey.