Seventeen-year-old Cameron Stanley from the Langley Gymnastics Foundation is among the 16 athletes named to B.C.’s gymnastics team that will compete at the upcoming Canada Winter Games in Prince George.
Artistic and trampoline gymnasts from nine B.C. clubs have qualified for the 2015 Canada Winter Games being held Feb. 13 to March 1.
The athletes were named to Team BC following trial competitions this fall and early winter.
2011 Team BC member Shallon Olsen returns to the Games as part of a strong women’s artistic gymnastics team. Olsen is a two-time Canadian Junior champion and a member of Canada’s junior women’s national team.
At the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Nova Scotia, B.C.’s women’s team won silver.
Aaron Mah anchors the men’s artistic gymnastics team.
The Canadian junior national team member won his first junior title in 2014 and represented Canada at the Pacific Rim Gymnastics Championships in Richmond,. He recently signed a national letter of intent with the California Golden Bears for September 2015.
The men’s team also won silver at the 2011 Canada Winter Games.
For the first time, trampoline gymnastics is part of the Canada Winter Games. Leading the team is longtime national team member Curtis Gerein.
Joining him on the men’s squad is Kyle Carragher while Emily Schmidt and Jane Harrigan will go for gold in the women’s competition.
The Canada Games are the premier multi-sport competition in the country.
Twice every four years the provinces and territories come together for this two week event (Canada Summer and Winter Games).
The artistic gymnastics competitions take place during the first week, while trampoline gymnastics ends the Games in the second week.
Team BC is comprised of the following athletes (athletes’ clubs and hometowns are in brackets):
Women’s Artistic Gymnastics
Shallon Olsen (Omega – Coquitlam, Surrey)
Clair Kaji (Flicka – North Vancouver, Vancouver)
Seina Cho (Omega – Coquitlam, Coquitlam)
Ilka Juk (Omega – Coquitlam, Vancouver)
Haley deJong (Flicka – North Vancouver, Port Coquitlam)
Jessie Moody (Vancouver Phoenix, Vancouver)
Men’s Artistic Gymnastics
Aaron Mah (Vancouver Phoenix, Vancouver)
Steven Chaplin (Twisters – Abbotsford, Mission)
Alex Farquharson (Delta Gymnastics, Delta)
Darren Wong (Vancouver Phoenix, Vancouver)
Michael Sibley (Flicka – North Vancouver, North Vancouver)
Cameron Stanley (Langley Gymnastics, Cultus Lake)
Trampoline Gymnastics
Emily Schmidt (Kamloops Gymnastics, Kamloops)
Jane Harrigan (Shasta – New Westminster, Vancouver)
Kyle Carragher (Shasta – New Westminster, Port Coquitlam)
Curtis Gerein (Okanagan Gymnastics, Kelowna)
For many athletes, the Canada Games are the stepping stone to significant international competition. Past Games have featured future Olympians such as: Marianne St-Gelais (speed skating), Sidney Crosby (hockey), Eugenie Bouchard (tennis), Steve Nash (basketball), Brian Orser (figure skating) and Hayley Wickenheiser (hockey & softball).
