ice? “If you love something, you don’t have to give it up. Look at us! 60 years old and still going strong!” The Canada +55 Senior Games featured all the athletes march - ing in behind their provincial flags in the opening ceremonies. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience to compete at this level, at this age. It was just amazing.” London’s Team Chaos reached the finals without having surren - dered a goal, besting teams from BC, Alberta, and the East Coast. The gold medal game, against rivals from Mississauga, was won in a 1-0 shoot-out. “And then, to win, WOW. We came together to play for the fun of it, but once we all committed, everyone put in the time and worked really hard. Everyone - the coaches and the players. We were a team.” A team of amazing women. The next Canada Senior Games will take place in Winnipeg in 2026. Marina and the other Golden Girls will be back at it to de- fend their title.
Golden Girls: London and area 60+ Women’s Team wins Championship by Jane Roy
On August 29, 2024, London’s Wom - en’s 60+ hockey team became the Na - tional Champions at the Canada +55 Games. This year, the games took place in Quebec City and featured over 3000 ath- letes from across Canada who competed in over 20 events. The team is made up of women from the London area. They are all 60 years of age or older and share a passion for playing hockey at any age. This includes Strathroy resident, Marina McDougall.
Marina MacDougall Photo by Vince MacDougall
Marina had always wanted to play hockey. Growing up, she was only allowed to take figure skating and swimming, as her mom feared for her daughter’s well-being. Marina begged year after year to play. The answer was always the same. “Ice hockey is too violent. You’ll get hurt.” She started playing hockey when she was 32 years old. Mari- na never looked back. Playing pick-up and organized hockey whenever she could, Marina quickly became a strong skating 2-way defenceman. She moved to Strathroy in 2011, and contin- ued to play, enjoying getting on the ice with her husband Vince for fast paced co-ed games. Her advice to other women like her who weren’t allowed to play? “It’s never too late to start play - ing at any age if you want to.” Or to the young girls now on the
London Senior Women's Hockey Team. Photo by Grace Flaherty.
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November 2024 Page 13
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