32 — Wednesday, July 7, 1999 — North Shore News Bob Wiackin News Reporter LET ithe begin! Action starts on three fronts Thursday morning, even though the B.C. Games for Athletes with a Physical Disability won't officially open until the colourful evening ceremonies at Norseman Park at 7 p.m. Boccia, lawn bowling and sailing are the first three events in the 13-sport meet, which runs through Sunday afternoon. More than 650 athietes, coaches and officials from around the province, country and continent are converging, on various North Vaacouver venues for the annual sport celebration by athletes with ’ disabilities. They'll be aided by 500 volunteers. The Ganses are part of the provindal government's fami- ly of five provincial multi- spore events, including the rthern Winter Games, the Summer ‘and: Winter Games and Seniors Garnes. m North ‘Vancouver was ‘awarded. the Games for the Games , WEST VANGC VANGOUYER _ _ Chares Fox, coach “Robert Gray, golf .. Ross Hetherington, athiate's assistant Howard Hodges, lawn bowling Robert Singer, got * NOATH VANCOUVER _ Helen Berarduccl, family member * Jute Berarducci, swimming Leif Bjarko lawn, bowling _ Courtney Campbell, equestrian David Campbell, slo-pitch © James Harris, salling “Debbie Larman, coaclt e{ =: Derek Lunden, golf. © Quinn McComb, equestrian .. Ryan Olls, athielics Chris Thutin, golf: (local Games pantepant regis tered as of ee 4) SPORTS: 1. athlefics, Deccia, cycling, aquest, Soabat, goff, « lawn bowling, sailing, showdown, sio-pitch,. slalom. 5 : swimming and tennis. "|; OEMONSTRATIGN EVENTS: | "North Vancouver Radio Flying Club, Power. ‘Booter Physically = Disabled in September 1998, just two years after hosting the B.C. Winter Games in 1996. -The first B.C. Games for the Physically Disabled took place in Vancouver 31 years ago and were hosted by che B.C. division of the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association until 1984. Since 1985, the Games have been under the auspices of the B.C. Sport and Fitness Council for the Disabled and have consis- tently evolved. The Games have expanded to include organizations like: @ B.C. Blind Sports and Recreation Association; G B Deaf Sports Federation; W B.C. Therapeutic Riding Association; @ Canadian Amputee Sports Federation (B.C. division); @ Cerebral Palsy Sports Association of B.C.; 8 Disabled Association of B.C.; - North Vancouver’s best hope for a medal is golfer Chris Thulin. Thulin is hop- ing to improve on a silver at last year’s Games in Surrey where he shot 178 over two - Sailing north shore news @ SPORTS Games on for athletes with a disability in NV rounds in the above-knee amputees" division. Thulin, 33, suffered bone cancer int his left feg only four months after he was born. A cyclist and skier, he found his true love 13 years ago when he began playing golf in Campbell River. Other athletes to watch for include: swimmer Alexandra Guarascio of Burnaby; the boccia team of Paul Gauthier, Monica Martino and Alison Kabush; Coquitlam discus specialist Ljiljana Ljubisic, and track and field athletes Jason Delesalle and Courtney Knight. Together, they'll be com- peting for medals and ribbons that carry the Games’ logo — a composite of an cagle, bear, wolf and mountain goat con- ceived by Squamish Nation artist Maurice Nahanee. Competition runs all weekend until Sunday’s clos- ing ceremony, p.m. at Capilano Colleg All events ae "fee, Cali 981-3100 for infor- mation ‘or check out the Games Web site . lity. North Vancouver duly 7: Capilano Colepe Sportsplex, Nonihtands Golf Course, North Vancouver rec centres, North Shore Equestrian Gentre, Norseman Park, Handsworth Secondary, © * Seymour Demonstration Forest, Lynnmour School, Seymour Golf & Country Club, ‘Lonsdale Lawn Bowling Ceritre, Deep Cove Marina, McCartaey Park, ice Sports North Shore, Ron Andrews Pool and the North Shore Winter Club. See age 33 fcr Games schedule ““T accept the challenge of compe- tition because tt provides the opportunity to test and demoa- strate my abilities. My rewards _ are the recognition I receive for my achievements and the com- - panionship and friendship: I Vestablish during. My involvement in these gases will increase my understanding competition. in all areas of competitive sports - while encouraging others to take an achive pare in events.” BC. Wheeling ed Square Dance Club. 7 “BECAUSE he has 4 as 4 leg ‘+ problem, Casey Martin ‘had to sue the US, - PGA for the right to. “aise a motorized golf ‘cart in tournament play. . ». Then there’s Jack - : Nicklaus, a noted and vocal . opponent of golf cart use - . Martin was fighting f - ‘permission to. use one. ” Subsequently the Golden ~ Bear, now in his'golf dotage, had a hip replacement opera- ~~. tion and last month returned "to seniors tournament play. As’. _, ONO eeaoscenenneneresaneseccaneteosetnepesces . i +a foot soldier. Midway through th the tour- ‘ nament his new hip began to ive him heb. As I F cmember, ¢ shot @ round of 80-plus for ” “the first time since he made it .from tee to green in a baby similar - bugy. Then came the admis- sion that yes, maybe there was a place for four-wheel trans- portation in tournament play. - This brings us to North Vancouver golfer Chris Thulin (pronounced Toolin), a guy whose upper body _ strength features the sort of muscularity hockey and foot-~ ball teams hope their players develop in those locker room annexes known as i “rooms. And which he never used, ~ He belts his drives an aver- “age of 250 yards, which does- mt exactly put him i inte the NEWS photo Brad Ledwidge VANCOUVER North Stars’ Leif Carlson eludes a Vallay Veriom defender er: route to the Stars’ cnly try of the game Saturday at Kiahanis Park. The Venom, we 13 victors. Bob Mackin News Reporter - THE Vancouver North Stazs ended the Rugby Canada Super season the way it began. With a loss to a rival British Columbia side. ~The North Stars fell to the Vancouver Island Crimson Tide in a road game to begin their second campaign in the inter-city _ semi-professional icague fast month. “On. Saturday, the North © Stars played their final game of the six-game schedule ar West < Vancouver’s Klahanie Park and Jost 28- 13 ta Survey's Walley unexplored territory Tiger . Woods regularly discovers. But for a guy with a slightly ” -more serious leg problem - . than Martin or Nicklaus, not bad at all. Ask him his handicap and he laughs, maybe remember- ing the story about Sammy Davis Jr.’s reply on the first tee at 2 course in Vegas when fellow Rat Pack member Dean Martin asked him the same question. Replied Sammy: “I’m a one-eyed Jewish nigger. What more handicap do you want?” So, after laughing at a _ Venom. It was the end of ao. ’ four- the ad of the North: Srars’ * hopes of hosting the national : championship. -The Nor Stars had 4 a share © of first before the weekend, but will instead finish third. The: ‘top teams in the east and west meet July 24-or 25 at the home’ - of the. west’s° best team: to”. -decide the; second . » Heague The Tide visits’ Surrey to meet the Venom to decide the western champion ‘on Sunday. ‘The teams had identical 5-0-1 : records'in 1998; bur the Tide : ‘got the nod: because ‘of point .*. differential. The Tide eventual aol won ithe, first tie: wepine question he’s probably. heard _athousand times, Thulin ~ comes up with a straight - answer: “Fourteen.” “= Obviously he should have a - smart alec rejoinder like Sammy’s. But he doesn’t. His leg problem is a little different than Martin’s and Nicklaus’. While their limbs may not be in the best of. working order, cach at least has the required two. Thulin has just one. And no prosthe- sis, although he works for a _¢ prosthetics manufacturer, fab- . ricating limb for other : game winning streak and 7k half and I figured ‘we: wear them down <'an Pat Anderson. Varicouver’s: lone « try. Hartley had a conversio: two penalty goals. Co River. Right up-at, che’ “could wear a Prosthetic: device, but for his particul condition it would have too. “many: ‘moving, parts; too man things could go wrong. So, he gets from here there on.crutches. /