Three Alberni Valley athletes brought back a suitcase full of memories from the 2012 BC Winter Games, held Feb. 23–26 in Vernon.
Spencer Rhodes and Rylee Mitchell competed with the Zone 6 badminton team, while Brittney Savard competed in girls’ ice hockey. Her zone 6 team finished fifth.
Rhodes and Mitchell packed their bags and headed up to Vernon along with their zone 6 Badminton team.
It was a long trip up by bus, leaving from Nanaimo 6 p.m., the trip had them arriving at 4 a.m. on the Thursday. Competition started on the Friday, so a little time to catch up on some needed rest.
Rhodes and Mitchell are both in Grade 8 and attend EJ Dunn.
They have remained in the same class every year since. The boys play on the same house and rep soccer team, basketball team, and they hang out together in their spare time. Their birthdays are even a day apart.
Both have been playing badminton for approximately two years. Rhodes has been playing for a couple years. He was invited by a friend to try it out and discovered he loved the sport.
Rhodes and Mitchell played on the Zone 6 team at the B.C. Winter games, which placed sixth.