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Dale Woodard
For the Sun Times
Good luck keeping Len Whyte and Matt Kurio off the badminton court.
Over the course of the Lethbridge duo’s racket-wielding days, both Whyte and Kurio have made it clear it’s going to take more than a few physical setbacks to keep them from serving up the birdie.
Thanks to that tenacity, Whyte and Kurio — along with a host of Zone 1 athletes representing southern Alberta — now take their game north to St. Albert for the 2011 Alberta 55-Plus Winter Games, running Feb. 24-27.
And the duo does so looking to build on their silver-medal performances from 2009 when the Games were hosted in their backyard in Lethbridge.
Still, in the past year both Whyte and Kurio faced physical hurdles that stood in the way of their badminton playing.
Whyte heads into this year’s Alberta 55-Plus Winter Games having recovered from two blown knees last year while Kurio shook off the effects of a heart attack suffered last May to return to the court.
“I’m playing with a handicap, but they’re coming back,” said Whyte, motioning toward his bandaged knees. “They hurt a bit, but they’re better now. As long as I play with braces I’m OK.”
Kurio displayed the same resiliency as his fellow badminton player following his heart attack.
“I came back after four or five weeks and I’ve been playing ever since,” he said. “We try to come (to practise at the Lethbridge Seniors Centre) four or five times a week, Monday to Friday. We’re ready to go.”
Whyte’s blown knees aren’t the first time the 71-year-old has had to face physical adversity.
Roughly eight years ago — when he started playing alongside Kurio — Whyte was involved in a serious car accident.
“(My) hand was partially cut off. But it’s come back pretty good after eight years.”
And Whyte — who has been playing badminton for almost 50 years — had the medals to prove it.
In addition to his silver-medal performance at the 2009 games in Lethbridge, Whyte earned another silver medal at the 2007 55-Plus games in the mixed doubles division, playing alongside Martha Nance.
While Whyte and Kurio don’t always play together, they influence one another.
“I was a little bit slow to begin with and he coaches me along the way,” said Whyte with a grin. “Matt and I have a tendency to be a bit aggressive. But after we get done playing we laugh about it. But (not) at the time. We give each other a hard time, even when we’re playing (together), if he’s not playing up to strategy.”
Joining Whyte and Kurio in the trek to St. Albert is Dzintra Campa, who will compete in women’s doubles with Nance in the women’s doubles and with Marvin Kirchner in mixed doubles.
“I’ve been playing 16 years and I really enjoy it. It’s very good exercise,” said Campa, who preferred to focus on the recreational side of the 55-Plus games. “That’s the main thing, to have fun.”
While looking to soak up the Games experience, both Kurio and Whyte also hope to take home a medal as well.
“I’m going to try and win gold,” said Kurio, who will team up with Edward Makel in the men’s doubles division.
As for Whyte, any sort of medal will suffice.
“Anything, whatever comes my way,” he said with a chuckle. “As long it’s not nothing. We’ll play and have fun and that’s the biggest thing, having fun.” |
