(L-R) Coach Deryk Kuny, athlete Evan Crough and local Delburne athlete Kaylee Raniseth win gold at first ever Canada Winter Games mixed curling event. (Harry Schut/ Canada Winter Games)

By Alessia Proietti

Team Alberta - fourth place

Central Alberta athletes make history at 2023 Canada Winter Games

Mar 7, 2023 | 4:56 PM

Team Alberta brought home 92 medals at this year’s Canada Winter Games, ranking in fourth place, with some central Alberta athletes making history.

From February 18 to March 5 in Prince Edward Island, over 330 athletes, coaches and staff for the province, comprising of 24 teams, competed in 19 sports to bring home 20 gold medals, and 36 medals each in silver and bronze.

“It shows that there’s great athletes that are represented throughout our province and that anybody, regardless of where they live in Alberta, that there’s an opportunity for them to excel in their sport and make special teams like Team Alberta to showcase their skills and their athletic performance at such a major multi-sport competition like the Canada Games,” said Cam Berwald, Chef de Mission for Team Alberta.

One of the main highlights was Alberta’s gold win at the Canada Winter Games’ first ever mixed curling event.

Local Delburne athlete Kaylee Raniseth and Calgarian Evan Crough made history as the first athletes to win the title.

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“We really have fun playing together and we know how to help each other when situations come down on us and it just works,” said 19-year-old Raniseth.

Crough, 20, echoed similar sentiments, excited about the win.

“Ever since the first time we were on the ice, it has been instant chemistry. It has been really good,” he said. “We haven’t skipped a beat and we know how to pick each other up. It has been a blast the entire time.”

Berwald also noted that for Red Deer, Cody Cyman and Artur Troyan, the latter originally from Ukraine, excelled in the Gymnastics – Trampoline competition, winning bronze for male synchro. She also noted that Red Deer boxer Brody Andrie stood out, winning silver for the male’s 57 kg.

According to Team Alberta, the following central Alberta athletes also won medals:

• Alison Dewling from Wetaskiwin: Bronze in Archery (Recurve mix team)
• Sydney Poapst from Stettler: Silver in Wheelchair Basketball (Mix)

Other athletes also listed as having hometowns in central Alberta, according to Team Alberta, include:

• Zach Gladu from Blackfalds: Gymnastics – Artistic
• Gavin Johnson from Didsbury: Alpine skiing
• Ryann Holbeing from Red Deer County: Hockey – Female
• Solomon Wynnyk from Sylvan Lake: Snowboard
• Joey Bayliss from Clive: Boxing

Berwald noted that apart from central Alberta athletes, many local coaches also excelled at the Games. In particular, Red Deer’s Christopher Kelly brought the Ringette team to a silver medal.

Other local coaches and staff with hometowns listed in central Alberta include:

• Ally Bendfeld from Innisfail: Coach for Hockey – Female
• Dave Turnbull from Olds: Mission Staff
• Anzhelika Troyan from Red Deer: Manager for Gymnastics – Trampoline
• Brett Wold from Red Deer: Coach for Hockey – Female
• Kendall Newell from Red Deer: Manager for Hockey – Female
• Lisa Henderson from Red Deer: Mission Staff
• Michael Kraichy from Red Deer: Manager for Hockey – Male
• Michelle Ostrikoff from Red Deer: Coach for Fencing
• Cody Reynolds from Sylvan Lake: Coach for Hockey – Male

“Set your dreams high and certainly if you set a goal for yourself, work hard towards it; remain committed. We have great local support coaches to help further their sport development,” said Berwald.

“Pursue your goal strongly with a passion and you never know where you can end up.”

While not from the region, other athletes from across the province made notable headlines at the Games.

Alberta’s judo athletes won 15 medals, the most amount of medals ever won at a Canada Winter Games as the previous record was 12.

Airdrie’s Emily Vigneault also became the first woman to win a boxing title at the Canada Winter Games.

The province also fielded the youngest athlete at the Canada Winter Games, 10-year-old figure skater Lia Cho. The Calgarian, who was a flower girl at the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, won the silver medal last week after celebrating a personal best score.

Berwald said she was very proud of all of the province’s athletes.

“Regardless of their result, they remained really positive and respectful competitors and really came away from their participation in the Games with incredible lifelong memories that I think will really be special going forward in their careers,” she said.

“It provides an insight and an opportunity to feel that you’re part of a bigger team so regardless if you are an archer or fencer, you’re all competing for Team Alberta and it’s such a unique feeling to have that experience.”