Team Alberta athletes to take on Canada’s best

Team Alberta is set to take on the rest of the country when the Canada Summer Games begin later this month.

Athletes, coaches and management gathered in Stony Plain Saturday for a final sendoff before the team departs for Winnipeg. The Games run July 28 to Aug. 13.

Former Olympian and Team Alberta athlete Erica Morningstar and Alberta Sport Connection chairman Andrew Ference were on hand to greet the crowd and prepare the amateur athletes for what is to come.

“The Canada Games was such a huge stepping stone in my career,” said Morningstar.

“I can remember being this age and everything is new and everything is exciting. This will probably be one of the biggest events that a lot of these athletes will have competed at.”

Athletes unveiled the official uniforms and were introduced to flag-bearer Aaron Hernandez, 21, via video message. Hernandez, a triple-jump athlete from Coaldale, is currently competing at the Canadian Track and Field Championships in Ottawa.

Ky Desaulniers of Lloydminster is representing Team Alberta in women’s softball. She expects the Games to have a higher profile because the Games are celebrating its 50th anniversary in addition to the country’s 150th birthday bash.

“I think it’s going to be so much bigger than the rest of them,” said Desaulniers. “I went to the (Western) Summer Games two years ago and it was super fun, so coming to these ones and it being the 50th anniversary and the Canada 150, it’s going to be so cool.”

There are 450 members of Team Alberta, including 346 athletes from more than 74 communities in the province.