BARRHEAD - Barrhead golfer Bessie Stevens is the best 85-plus golfer in Canada and has the gold medal to prove it.
Early this summer, Stevens, who turns 87 later this month, travelled to Quebec City in late August to compete in her third Canada 55-Plus, earning the gold medal. She qualified for the games, winning silver at the Alberta 55 Plus Games in Brooks, Alberta 2023.
"[85+] is the oldest category at the games," Stevens said. "I guess after that, they think we should all be home knitting or something."
However, Stevens noted she has never been too much for knitting, preferring more active pursuits, as demonstrated by the number of appearances at the Canada 55 Plus Games.
It was her fourth time competing in the games. She first got involved in the Canada 55 Plus movement in 1998, starting with competing in regional level contests beginning at the regional level before progressing to the provincial level and qualifying to represent Zone 5 in various sports, including golf, bowling and curling.
In 2014, Stevens got her first taste at competing at the national level in golf when she qualified for the Canada 55 Plus Games in Strathmore County. Four years later, Stevens qualified for the games in St. John, New Brunswick, where she took bronze in the 80+ golf competition. In 2022 (rescheduled from 2020 due to the pandemic), she returned to the games, this time in Kamloops, B.C., where she took home bronze in 65+ team five-pin bowling.
Stevens left for Quebec City on Aug. 27 with a friend from Swan Hills, Liz Kravitz, and fellow Alberta Zone 5 competitor Brenda Rau, who competed in the games in bowling.
"I couldn't have asked for two better people to accompany me," she said.
Stevens had little chance to rest or sight-see before she hit the links, as the following day, she found herself on the green of the Mont Tourbillon Golf Club, about an hour away in Lac-Beauport.
She said each day of the competition, they played 18 holes.
"It wasn't the easiest course. It is in the mountains, so it was hilly, but I pulled through," Stevens said.
She added that as she was getting ready to play her first hole, she experienced a bit of déjà vu, as one of the women she had competed against six years earlier in New Brunswick was in her foursome.
Stevens said regrettably that during the games, there was only a little time for much else but the competitions. Every morning, a shuttle bus would take her to the golf course and then back to her hotel, where many Team Alberta people stayed.
"Our hotel was in one of the newer parts of the city, and we were hoping to be able to visit it before we had to fly out, but the weather did not cooperate," she said, adding it was raining fairly heavily the time the trio had to explore. "But what I did manage to see was very nice. We always had a different shuttle bus driver for the trip back to the hotel, and they always tried to take us on a different route. And when we went out to eat, we always tried to choose somewhere nice because we knew we would probably never experience the city again."
Stevens said it was a lot easier to get around than she had initially expected, noting that all the signs at the hotel, golf course, and nearby restaurants were in English and French.
As for what is next for Stevens, she said she plans to keep competing in 55+ events but admits she may have to take up less active pursuits in future years.
"But hopefully that won't be for a while," she said.
Meanwhile, Stevens is helping organize the Black Gold Zone 5 regional qualifying competitions for the 2025 Alberta 55+ Summer Games, which will be in Leduc from August 21-24. Events for Leduc include athletic events such as golf, bocce, corn hole, cycling, floor shuffleboard, horseshoes, slow pitch, track and field, pickle ball, swimming and tennis, as well as non-athletic activities, including crafts, contract bridge, military whist and photography. For more information on the upcoming provincial games, go to www.alberta55plus.ca.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
