Red Deer residents Mary Gardiner and Nardia Playfair brought a gold medal home after attending the Canadian 55+ Games in Quebec City.
From Aug. 27-30, the tennis duo joined nearly 3,000 other athletes who competed in hopes of winning hardware for their province and they did just that.
Gardiner and Playfair won gold for Alberta in the female doubles 75+ age division in tennis, which contributed to Alberta's impressive medal total. As a result, they played two matches to earn gold.
Out of 12 provinces and territories, Alberta finished second in the overall medal race with 199 (100 gold, 61 silver, and 38 bronze), which was just behind Ontario with 211 medals. Perhaps most impressive, was Alberta overtaking Quebec who finished with 181 medals.
"It was special," Gardiner said. "It was a tough game but it was a very pleasant place to play because it was indoors and you didn't have to worry about the weather which is always a factor."
Among the other sports were hockey, swimming, some track and field events, scrabble, and card games among others. They also had an event called predicted walk where the participant's goal is to predict how long it would take them to reach the finish line.
Gardiner has competed at the 55+ Canada Games since the 1990s and estimates she's won 25 medals for her province over that time. To make the games each competitor must qualify by earning a medal in their provincial games and Gardiner has done so for many years at the Alberta 55+ Games.
"This was the last province I hadn't played in. The Canada Games are held every two years and the next time they're in Winnipeg," she said. "I've always competed in Tennis. It's sort of an addiction with me and the research is showing that tennis is the best sport for longevity."
She qualified at the Alberta Games in Brooks last year after earning the gold medal.
She played the sport briefly as a teenager but when her kids took up the sport that's what got her really interested in tennis. She's been in love with the game ever since.
Nowadays she plays three or four times a week to keep herself in shape.
"I enjoy putting that ball where the opponents are not and that's the strategizing aspect. You develop those kinds of strokes depending on what ball you get to return," she said. "It's always a thinking game for sure."
Gardiner loves competing but is considering taking a step back despite people telling her to continue to compete.
"This might be my last hurrah. I don't know for sure but we will see."
