Victoria’s sporting community is celebrating 30 years since BC’s capital hosted the Commonwealth Games.
The games opened on August 18, 1994 in a packed Centennial Stadium.
Three decades later, the legacy lives on and organizers gathered Thursday in Victoria to celebrate the games’ continued impact on Vancouver Island.
“That’s really designed to leverage the strengths of the region and provide opportunities for coaches and athletes,” said John MacMillan, president of 94 Forward.
Thanks to the legacy of the Games, Victoria is now home to Olympic and Paralympic training facilities. This year there were about 160 Canadian athletes training in sports ranging from skateboarding to boxing to diving and track and field.
To mark this milestone, the Pacific Institute for Sport Education, a nonprofit organization born from the ’94 games, announced it is building on its legacy with an expansion of programming for people ages 13 to 18.
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“The time to reach more teens is now, so we’re excited to introduce our ‘Gift of Potential’ program,” said PISE Board Member Stephen Chang.
Only 10 percent of youth in that age group meet Canada’s recommended physical activity guidelines, with an average of four hours of screen time per day.
“Finding ways to get students involved in athletics, programs and teams is a very important part of keeping students healthy and happy,” said Sean Hayes, director of South Island Distance Education School.
“Young people will be the ones who will be our future Olympians and our future Commonwealth Games participants.”
Last year, the school took on the task of providing education to young elite athletes from the Canadian Sports School, who split their time between training and high school.
Whether these future competitors can compete here in their own country remains a question.
BC submitted a bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but the province was not in a financial position to support the $400 million funding requested.
It later also took itself out of the race for the 2026 event.
“It may be that organizing committees and nations may need to reconsider how these games are made … to help share the costs and also to help share the legacy afterwards,” said Susan Brice, who sat on the post-1994 gaming board that founded PISE. .
But like the athletes who train here, no one gives up, knowing that Victorians are eligible for everything.
“Never say never,” Brice said.
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