TRURO, N.S.– Gower Thompson has enjoyed many achievements as a runner.
In the recent 55 + Games held in Bridgewater and Lunenburg, Thompson was again outstanding, as he captured four gold medals and a bronze.
“I was actually surprised at how well I did, Thompson, 80 of Bible Hill, said. “A lot of people told me they couldn’t believe I was 80 and still running all these miles.”
The mid-September competition saw Thompson earn gold medals in the 1,500 metre, 800 metre, 400 metre and shot put. In bowling, he had a 381 pinfall to earn a bronze medal.
Looking to the future, Thompson shared.
“I plan to keep running as long as I can, as long as my heart and legs will take it. I’m looking forward to competing in my second International 55 + Games in Saint John, N.B. in 2018. I’m excited, I don’t want to miss that for anything. If I can run until I’m 90, I will. I’d like to see how many international events I can run in.”
Thompson eats healthy and follows a strict training schedule.
“I train three days a week, running 10 to 13 ks on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. I run up College Road, down through the valley, down Pictou Road and back to Bomber Drive. The other four days in the week I pump iron.”
During the International 55 + Games in Brampton, Ont., in 2016,
Thompson ran the 1,500 metre in eight minutes and 37 seconds for a gold medal. He ran the 800 metre in four minutes and eight seconds for a second gold, while also earning silver medals in javelin and discus.
The local runner has an incredible running background and in 2013 the Truro Sport Heritage Society named him the senior male athlete of the year.
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The Brookfield Elks paid tribute posthumously to Betty Carter and Susie Smith before their Nova Scotia Hockey League home opener recently at the Don Henderson Memorial Sportsplex in Brookfield.
Betty and Susie, who both passed away in the off-season, were fixtures for many years at Elks junior B home games. The welcoming duo looked after ticket sales and programs and on occasion they were called on to quiet down over-excited fans.
“Mum worked with the junior B Elks for 18 seasons,” her daughter Dawn Carter Henderson said. “Susie must have been there just as long. We took them for granted, hockey fans became use to seeing them at Elk home games. It was very nice of the hockey team to acknowledge Mum and Susie, the ceremony was very well done. The team dedicated this season to Mum and Susie.”
The wonderful salute to the two ladies for a job well done included Elks board of directors chairman Josh Boulton presenting jackets to Betty and Susie’s families and a special pre-game ceremonial faceoff.
Besides her daughter Dawn, Betty’s other family members present included daughter Janet Reide, son Lenny Carter and her brother
Jimmy Moore.
Family members present for Susie were uncle and aunt Sidney and Marg Johnson and uncle and aunt Roy and Susan Crews.
It goes without saying, it was a very nice gesture by the Brookfield Elks organization, indeed very fitting for two ladies who just may have dedicated more than 35-total years to a hockey club they believed in.
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I was taken by something I saw during a recent junior A hockey game at the Rath Eastlink Community Centre.
Two brothers from Camden, forward Gavynn Carter of Truro Bearcats and defenceman Chase Carter of Edmundston Blizzard brushed against each other just inside the Blizzard blueline.
There was nothing dirty about the play, there was no brother get brother or anything like that. It was something else that had me scratching my head?
When was the last time a Bearcats player competed against his brother in this high-calibre junior hockey league?
I recall during the Bearcats early days in the league, like around 20 years ago – they had an exciting forward, Robbie Sutherland, and his brother Jeff Sutherland played defence for East Hants Penguins. The Carters and the Sutherlands are the only two brother-acts I can recall.
I telephoned Steve Crowell, who has had a long association with the Bearcats and who coached both Gavynn and Chase last season in major midget with Dartmouth.
Between us, we are stuck. Can you help?
Lyle Carter’s sports column appears Saturdays in the Truro Daily News. If you have a story idea, contact him at 902-673-2857.
