The Wrinkled Warriors didn’t just win gold at the Ontario 55+ Summer Games; they did so perfectly.
The event, held Wednesday to Friday in Brantford, had 19 competitions for athletes 55 and older, with 1,400 participants.
The slo-pitch portion of the games saw an all-star Barrie team, made up of players from the Barrie Senior Coed Slo-Pitch League, compete against teams from Peterborough, Etobicoke, Stratford and London, which had two squads at the event.
Jan Jeffrey is the team manager of the Warriors, as well as the president of the local rec league. She told BarrieToday she has entered a team since 2010.
“We all play in the same league together, but we don’t always play on the same teams. We played a Summer Games qualifier in Peterborough in June,” she said. “That’s how we made it to the recent event and we’re very happy with our result.”
The 12 players on the Wrinkled Warriors range in age from 55 to their 70s. They won in the recreational slo-pitch division, going 7-0 throughout the event.
The gold medallists from the slo-pitch team weren’t the only champions from the area as athletes represent different districts, and Simcoe County was well represented.
The region won two golds in pickleball, two golds in golf, two golds in cycling and a bronze in euchre.
With their Ontario championship, the Wrinkled Warriors will compete at the National Senior Games in Quebec City in late August 2024.
When the gold medallists play in the local league, Jeffrey said, there isn’t much hassle for field time.
"We’re old farts. We play during the day, often at Shear Park and also at the Barrie Sports Complex,” she said. “I think the camaraderie is what most people like the most. In the regular-season league, we have players in their 80s playing and, being that it is rec, there are varying levels of skills. But it’s rec, so everyone should be having fun.”
The final playoff dates for the Barrie league are Monday, Sept. 18 (Shear Park) and Wednesday, Sept. 20 (Barrie Sports Complex), with the differing days being separate divisions.
More information on the league can be found here.
