Eight local members of the Centre Wellington Shuffleboard Club showed the world they take their sport seriously during the 31st International Shuffleboard Association’s (ISA) championships in Seattle, Washington earlier this month.
The group of three men and five women helped their respective Team Canada East squads capture first place in a competition that featured seven nations battling for shuffleboard supremacy.
Bringing home the gold medal was a proud moment for Myrna Bilton, head of the Centre Wellington league and president of the Canadian National Shuffleboard Association.
“As the president, I am very honoured. It’s a humbling experience,” Bilton said.
“It was a shock. A lot of the members competing are new to the sport. For our new players, I had no expectation of ever even winning. This was wonderful.”
Adding to the excitement were the accolades of individual members from the Centre Wellington club in Fergus. Albert Blom represented Team Netherlands on the United Nations team. Maureen Bryan, of Fergus, took home top spot, placing first in the world as an individual player.
For Bilton and her teammates, while the medal win was important, the international event is about more than competition.
“Winning is always nice, but the relationships and friends you make go well beyond winning,” she said. “Anyone who can represent their country, to me, is already a winner.”
Enthusiastic about promoting her sport, Bilton was thrilled to learn Canada has won the bid to host the 2014 ISA championships, which will bring hundreds of shuffleboard competitors to Midland, Ontario in August 2014.
“We will need plenty of volunteers for the event. It’s a wonderful way for people to participate,” she said.
The Centre Wellington Shuffleboard Club includes approximately 60 members – not all of whom are seniors – and meets twice a week at the Fergus Curling Club from mid-May to mid-September.
The Centre Wellington club is looking for new members for next season. Interested players can contact Collette Brodie at 519-787-5270 for information.
