Competitors set busy pace as ambassadors for provincial 55-plus Winter Games

Arnold and Betty Vriends of Covehead Road expect to be busy this week.
Not only are they competing in the provincial 55-plus Winter Games, they're also acting as ambassadors.
"We started (competing) as soon as there was a competition (but) we can't remember the exact year when it started," Arnold said Monday.
The 2010 Games started Monday in Stratford and surrounding areas and go through Friday.
Approximately 1,000 people register each year for activities that include auction 45s, crokinole, cribbage, duplicate bridge and scrabble. New this year is ice fishing.
Sports events include racquetball, squash, curling, hockey, swimming, badminton, bowling, cross-country skiing, pool, darts, skating and walking.
The emphasis is placed on participating and having fun.
The Vriends participate in lawn bowling and alley bowling at the provincial, Atlantic and national levels. Competition has taken the couple as far away as Yukon.
Betty won gold in women's pairs lawn bowling when the nationals were held in Charlottetown in 2002 while Arnold captured silver in men's pairs lawn bowling in 2002.
Health issues have kept 80-year-old Arnold off the greens and alleys of late while Betty is competing this week in the 75-plus division.
Arnold and Betty took part in organized sports in school, starting out in soccer and swimming although the couple says there wasn't much time to do it with the chores at home.
"I was in a young farmers soccer league that played on Sunday mornings," Arnold said.
The couple married in Holland on Feb. 19, 1955, before coming to Canada less than a month later.
"Our trip (to Canada) was very rough and took seven days," Arnold said. "We were on a boat with other immigrants. We landed in Halifax at Pier 21 and travelled by train to Charlottetown (via the ferry) and stayed with Betty's brother who lived in Vernon Bridge. After a few days we were picked up by our sponsor, Wilfred MacDonald. He took us to our new home in Covehead through the muddy roads.
"In Holland, all the roads were paved or cobblestone so muddy roads were new to us. We worked for Wilfred for five years, then we were his partners for two years. We then bought the farm from him and the Vriends Poultry farm was started."
The Vriends have four children - Peter, Joe, Marilyn and Mike. The boys played hockey when they were kids while Mike was also involved in ball, soccer and golf.
Arnold and Betty didn't get involved in sports on P.E.I. until they retired, following up on a friend's suggestion they try lawn bowling in 1992.
"We enjoyed the lawn bowling so we decided to take up alley bowling in (the golden age league) for the fall and winter of the next year," Betty said.
The majority of games will take place Thursday and Friday with the celebration ceremony and dinner beginning at 3:30 p.m. Friday at the Town of Stratford gym.
For additional information, contact the winter games office at 569-6922 or email 55plusgames@town.stratford.pe.ca.