Lynda Conway has been playing tennis since she was young.
Last month, Lynda earned herself a silver medal in the Kelowna 2019 55+ BC Games with her partner Suzanne McAllister, from Kimberley.
This is the fourth BC Games Lynda has participated in with her husband, Steve Conway. She and McAllister placed second in their age category.
“She’s played all her life as well. She’s an excellent player,” Lynda said about her partner, McAllister.
Lynda has played tennis nearly all her life, and Steve began playing after he met Lynda. The couple have been together for 25 years.
“Tennis was my first racket sport,” Lynda said, explaining that she began her life on the courts playing badminton, but preferred tennis as soon as she began playing.
At the Kelowna 2019 55+ BC Games, Lynda played ladies’ doubles with McAllister and mixed doubles with Steve. Steve and Lynda placed fourth this year. Lynda met her doubles partner through the BC Games, and McAllister ran the BC Games event out of Kimberley last year.
“There’s a large group that plays out of Kimberley, which is great,” Lynda said.
In Golden, not many people play tennis, although Lynda and Steve enjoy playing pickleball on the courts with other enthusiasts. Lynda used to be the president of the Calgary Tennis Club for years when she lived there.
“I played in Calgary as a child. I just picked up a racket. I played badminton first, and then I started playing tennis. And, I liked tennis better,” Lynda said.
This is the fourth year Lynda and Steve have travelled to the 55+ BC Games. They bought a trailer and have been travelling around to games during the summer.
“We’ve really enjoyed them,” Lynda said.
This past summer, they practised a lot in Invermere and played in Creston, Kimberley, Salmon Arm, and Kelowna.
“It’s definitely a competitive league,” Lynda said. “You want to be prepared when you go to play, for sure. It’s very competitive. It keeps you fit and doing something that I love, which is tennis.”
Around 4,000 people attended this year’s 55+ BC Games in Kelowna.
“It’s very well attended, it’s very well organized,” Lynda said.
Lynda and McAllister placed second in their age category at this year’s games. This earns them an entry to play at the national championships next year. Between Steve and Lynda, the couple have earned seven medals over the four years they have attended the 55+ BC Games.
