Camaraderie, not competition, is the lasting memory Janet Ellis likes to rekindle when thinking of her two trips to Canada Summer Games as an athlete.
“I can tell you very little about the competitions,’’ says Ellis.
“They’re not what is memorable.’’
What has stuck with her over the years is the social interaction with athletes from other provinces, particularly the ones she competed against in softball in 1973 in New Westminster-Burnaby, B.C., and in field hockey in St. John’s, N.L., in 1977.
“I have friends across the country, without question, going back to my days as an athlete with the province,’’ she says.
“They’re very close friends and we always have a laugh and a chuckle. I think that’s the benefit of these Games – it really brings Canadian youth together.’’
Ellis, a retired federal government lawyer, hopes to play a part in making the 2023 Canada Summer Games on P.E.I. a special time for the athletes.
She is volunteering as vice-president of Sport and Athletes Village with the board of management.
She says emphasis will be placed on creating a good atmosphere and plenty of opportunity for the athletes to socialize.
The focus, she adds, is meeting the needs of the athlete, providing suitable housing, food and transportation.
“We want them to feel really good about having come here and being able to participate and then just enjoying themselves,’’ says Ellis.
The athletes’ village will be in Charlottetown with the competitors being the first tenants in the new UPEI residence. The $60-million project is expected to be done by 2022.
Ellis, who has extensive volunteer experience, notes she did not go looking for her current role on the board of management, but is keen to roll up her sleeves and get to work.
“It’s a challenge to some degree but it gives you an opportunity to meet more of the community here,’’ she says.
