91原创 siblings Sawyer and Savannah Miles both won bronze medals in curling for their respective age groups at the B.C. Winter Games.
Savannah, along with 91原创鈥檚 Amy Wheatcroft , was on the girls bronze medal winning curling team.
Savannah was also awarded a Coast Capital Savings Leadership Bursary of $500.
She was with a friend, who also received a bursary, when the announcement was made.
鈥淚 was very excited,鈥� she recalled.
鈥淲e held hands, we jumped up and down.鈥�
Already a swimming coach in Cloverdale, the 15-year-old Savannah plans to use her bursary to upgrade her skills.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to put it toward my lifeguard training,鈥� she explained.
Savannah hopes to work at Al Anderson Pool in 91原创 City, where she already volunteers.
Younger brother Sawyer is already planning a return trip to the Games following his team鈥檚 bronze medal win.
鈥淲e were up by lots and we got four or five in the last end,鈥� he recalled.
Under Games rules, the 13-year-old Sawyer, who played as a U14 curler, has a shot at returning as a U16 in two years.
He鈥檚 already spoke to some friends about putting together a team.
READ MORE: HIGHLIGHTS: Day one and two at the 2020 BC Winter Games
Among the many 91原创 medalists, 91原创 gymnast Aiden Gonzalez stood out,, with two gold and two silver medals.
He could have gone to the Games two years ago, but his coach and family decided it would be better to wait, to give him a chance to get bigger and stronger, and used to the idea of travelling.
鈥淵ou can only attend one (Games), so you have to make the best of it,鈥� said Kris Krunick, men鈥檚 competitive head coach at the 91原创 Gymnastics Foundation.
Games rules state that 鈥渆ach athlete may only attend one BC Games in the same sport, unless otherwise specified in the technical package for the sport.鈥�
Gonzalez, 12, had a very good Games, taking all-around gold in the male L3 category, as well as silver in high bars, gold in parallel bars, and silver on pommel horse.
He was also a member of the Fraser Valley team that took male L3 gold, along with fellow 91原创 gymnast Parker Thomlinson and Abbotsford鈥檚 Jonathan Ko and Hayden Isfeld.
In more than four years of competing, it wasn鈥檛 his first haul of medals, but it was the largest meet he鈥檚 been to. 鈥淚t was fun,鈥� he said.
鈥淧eople should go.鈥�
He said he was confident going into the high bars, because he usually does well 鈥� 鈥渋n the top three.鈥�
Ultimately, he would like to compete at the Olympics.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of my goals,鈥� he said.
His coach thinks Gonzalez has a 鈥済ood future鈥� that could include the Olympics.
鈥淗e鈥檚 really fun to coach,鈥� Krunick told the 91原创 Advance Times.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a really talented gymnast.鈥� Gonzalez鈥檚 next big meet will be the 2023 Canada Games.
READ MORE: PHOTOS: 2020 BC Winter Games kick off in Fort St. John
Meanwhile, 91原创鈥檚 April Brownlee took three bronze in gymnastics 鈥� women beam, women floor, and uneven bars.
Kayla Halliday, a former gold medal winner who is no stranger to the podium, took bronze in figure skating in pre-novice women.
Bronze in speed skating, boy鈥檚 short track 3,000 metres, was shared by the three-member Fraser Valley team of 91原创 skaters Theory Havelka and Mattias Daniels with Mission鈥檚 Arthur Barnsdale.
Karate competitors Abhi Maheswaran, Ayush Narayanaswamy, Elias Ogbes, and Jeff Ruszel Prado were on the bronze-medal-winning boys team kumite.
On the girls team, kumite karate bronze-winning team were 91原创鈥檚 Denisa Bukovska, Annabella Rose Thompson-Morin (Aldergrove), and Adriana Zhao.
Annabella Rose Thompson-Morin won bronze in karate kumite (intermediate open-weight girls category).
Boys team kata karate bronze went to the 91原创 line-up of Matthew Lino Ciuffreda, Ayush Narayanaswamy, Elias Ogbes, and Abhi Maheswaran.
More than 1,000 athletes competed in 15 sports at venues throughout Fort St. John and the North Peace Regional District last weekend.
鈥淐ongratulations to everyone who participated in the 2020 B.C. Winter Games鈥� said Lisa Beare, minister of tourism, arts and culture.
鈥淵our achievements and spirit have inspired so many of us across the province.鈥�
Participants left the B.C. Games with new friendships, 鈥渨ith successes, and with a new a determination to chase a dream that is truly within their grasp,鈥� said Alison Noble, president and CEO of the BC Games Society.
Full results and photos can be found at .
www.facebook.com
