For a first-time participant, Sandra Klassen of Niverville is pretty proud of her successes at this year’s Canada 55+ Games. Klassen joined approximately 1,875 senior athletes from across the country to compete in a variety of sporting events and board game challenges in Saint John, New Brunswick from August 21–24. She returned home decorated with four medals and an illustrious smile.

Klassen’s first experience with the Games happened in June of this year, at the Manitoba 55+ Games held in Glenboro, Manitoba. There, she took gold and bronze medals in every category in which she was entered. Invigorated with a renewed sense of competitive confidence, Klassen wasted no time signing up for the nationals.

She found her footing quickly among this diverse and active group of seniors, taking a gold medal in the triple jump, two silver medals in each of the 50- and 100-meter track races, as well as another silver in the long jump.

At 60 years of age, she’s considered one of the younger competitors. But she admits she had no idea she still had it in her since competitive track and long jump haven’t been a part of her life since high school. On top of that, Klassen suffered a pulled leg muscle just four days before her first event. Taking those days off from training to recuperate meant time lost. 

Not only does she still have it in her, though, she can also brag a little. And rightfully so, having broken the national record this year in the 50-meter run. The first-place winner of Klassen’s three silver-winning events beat her only by a hair in each event. In the 50-meter, the gold winner had 0.2 of a second on

Klassen, in the 100-meter she won by only 0.5 of a second, and in the long jump Klassen was beat by a mere two inches. 

Klassen, who trained on her own outdoor tracks, says she jokingly teased the gold winner after the events, saying that she was prepared to beat her in future competitions. The winner, Klassen says, admitted to having had a personal trainer and the luxury of indoor tracks throughout the year preceding the Canada Games. 

Manitoba saw 88 participants in this year’s national games, 70 of whom were first-timers. Team Manitoba brought home an impressive 42 medals. Over half of those medals were taken by first-timers such as Klassen.

Klassen speaks highly of the city of Saint John and the many maritime volunteers who made the Games an inviting and exciting event to participate in. 

“The people of New Brunswick were so accommodating and so nice,” Klassen says.

In true Olympic fashion, opening ceremonies included an athlete’s parade led by bagpipers with a special opening address by the mayor and other dignitaries. Throughout the week, participants were treated to a ‘50s dance party, a Maritime Kitchen Party including east coast musicians and a square dance, and a closing ceremonies dinner and dance.

Winners of the Canada 55+ Games are welcome to enter the international seniors’ games in Spain this year. Klassen says, for this year, nationals will be the end of the line for her. She’s already looking forward to next summer’s Manitoba games, to be held in Swan River. Nationals take place on a biannual basis and will be hosted by Kamloops in 2020.

“It was so much fun and I think anybody that has any athletic ability should consider it,” says Klassen.