KITCHENER – Center Wellington residents Bryce Richardson and Tim Porter are headed to the 2024 Summer Games – Canada Summer Games 55+.
“We're still in shock,” Richardson said when he learned that he and his pickleball partner had qualified for the national competition.
He and Porter competed in Ontario Senior Games AssociationMen's Over-65 Doubles Baseball Championships in Kitchener on April 16, where they captured silver and earned a spot in the Canada-wide competition.
the Canada 55+ Games It is a biennial event, and this year it takes place from August 27 to 30 in Quebec City.
Nearly 2,500 participants are expected to attend from across the country, competing in events ranging from track and field, shuffleboard and golf to table tennis, slow pitch, swimming and more.
Porter and Richardson will focus on one event — pickleball — a sport Richardson said they took up because it was easier than tennis.
“We are originally tennis players,” he said, noting that he has a court in his backyard and still practices this sport as well.
Richardson started playing pickleball seven years ago, while Porter has been playing for about two years, he said.
“It's the fastest growing sport in North America, so there's nothing more exciting these days,” Richardson said.
The popularity of the sport means that competition for a playing space can be fierce, but fortunately Richardson can practice in his own backyard.
He said he expects the national tournament to be as competitive as it is, but he and his partner are “as good as anyone.”
In preparation, he added, they will continue to train, do their best to stay healthy, and generally “keep doing what we're doing.”
