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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-07-14, Page 10PAGE 10. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1999. Local athletes do well at provincial meet Thirteen athletes from the Wingham area competed in the Provincial Legion championships held at Centennial Stadium in Kitchener on the weekend. The ath­ letes achieved considerable success earning seven provincial medals, one silver and six bronze, as well as earning six “personal best” perform­ ances. This year “District C Legion” was in charge of organizing and running the meet in which athletes from all over Ontario came to compete. Tom Reed, the meet convenor, assisted by many Legion members and volun­ teer coaches and officials organized a very well-run meet. Leading the way with two medal T-Rexes coining together as team The Brussels U-6 T-Rexes have started to come together as a team. On July 7 they mer with the Maple Leaf Tigers for a fast aggressive game of soccer. Both teams played hard with only seven players each. Kasey King started in net for the T-Rexes. She made great saves to keep the score at zero. Conner Smith was in net for the Tigers. He made great saves until Arthritis targets new generation It was like every other Sunday morning for the past four years. David Collins woke up, ate a small breakfast, and stretched in preparation for his weekly squash game against his friend Ken. Just as they began their second game, Ken served and David ran towards the wall to make his return shot. Halfway to the wall, he just stopped. "Hey what’s wrong?" David remembers Ken calling out. "Are you okay?" David remembers saying that it was his legs; that his knees had just locked. The two men tried to finish their game, but David just couldn't continue playing. That was three years ago. What David Collins experienced was something that he had actually experienced several times over the past few months. Sometimes it was just tenderness or stiffness in his joints, but other times he experienced his joints being locked or swollen. "I knew that something was wrong with me," David says. "The truth is, I just thought that I was too young to get arthritis." David was 52 when he was diagnosed. "It has definitely changed my life. I certainly can’t play squash anymore, but there are many other physical activities I can enjoy, such as golf and sailing." Learn how to spot the early warning signs of arthritis • Swelling in any joints • Early morning stiffness • Weight loss combined with joint pain • Recurring pain or tenderness in a joint • Inability to move a joint normally • Fever or weakness combined with joint pain • Redness or warmth in a joint • Persistence of any of these symptoms for more than six weeks Take any of these warning signs seriously. See your doctor. Have your condition diagnosed. performances was Kristyn Gerth. In discus she earned the silver medal, hurling the implement 29.50 m. In shot put, Gerth came very close to her personal best with a put of IO. IO m for a bronze medal. Laura Meier, a newcomer to the triple jump event leaped 10.04 m to claim a third place bronze medal. Rob Phelan, in the 17 years and under age group, jumped very well earning two personal best perform­ ances in high jump (1.80) and triple jump (J2.5J). He also earned the bronze medal in triple jump. David Lisle competing with the heavier implements in discus and javelin also performed well. His per­ sonal best throw of 40.29 in discus Morgan Deitner ran in and scored the first goal of the game. Cole McLean and Tyler Smith battled it out for the ball. McLean was helped on field by his brother Shea, Trevor and Heidi Ravnard, Natalie White and Morgan Smith. Just before half time Deitner came up with another goal for the T-Rexes. During the second half Kirk Currently, over 4 million Canadians have arthritis, and this number will increase dramatically as almost 10 million "baby boomers" begin passing their 50th birthdays this year, just as David did five years ago. Arthritis may become a health care crisis What David was most surprised about when he was diagnosed, were the number of required visits to his doctor. "I really didn't know that much about the disease when I was first told I had it. I didn't know how serious it was, or that I had to be monitored by my family doctor. I have seen more of him in the past year than I have in the past five years." In fact, arthritis is one of the most common reasons why Canadians visit a doctor. In total, the annual cost of arthritis to the health care system exceeds $1 billion. The disease also has an effect on he overall economy. For example, more than 50 per cent of working­ age people disabled by arthritis cannot work because of their condition. This translates into less disposable income to put back into the economy, as well as a greater reliance on government support. The overall impact of arthritis on the Canadian economy totals more claimed the bronze medal in the competition. Jamie Lewis leaped 4.73 m. in the girls 15 years and under long jump to win the bronze medal and Kate Johnston threw the discus 29.08 m also to win a bronze medal. The next level of competition is the National Legion championships to be held in Sudbury in August. Qualification for this meet required a first place finish at the provincial level. The Wingham and area ath­ letes performed well but no one placed first in their event. Branch 180 of the Wingham Legion is acknowledged for its support of these young athletes. Bechard, Christopher Ross and Laine Joy Smith worked together to help Smith score the third goal. The Maple Leaf Tigers fought hard but Ryan Baker saved the day while in net to keep the Tigers at zero. Smith scored the fourth and final goal for the T-Rexes, ending the game 4-0. Both teams played extremely well short-handed. than $5 billion a year. All of these dollar figures will explode as arthritis begins to affect the "baby boomer" generation. In fact, the possibility of having chronic arthritis for a 50-year-old is almost four times that of the same person at age 40, all of which makes arthritis truly poised to become a health care crisis. Early detection for effective treatment While David didn't see his doctor for early detection of arthritis, this is the most crucial step in effective management of the disease. If left undetected, arthritis will cause pain, inflammation and irreversible damage to the joints. Treatment for one of the most common forms of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, involves a combination of rapid-acting anti­ inflammatory medications, slower disease-fighting drugs, as well as physical and/or occupational therapy. Together, this approach reduces inflammation and slows the progression of the illness, with some people also experiencing an increase in mobility. Exercise, relaxation and energy conservation are also important factors in the treatment and management of rheumatoid arthritis. No prevention, no cure Currently, there is no cure for arthritis and it cannot be prevented. Eating healthy, proper exercise and no smoking all contribute to a better lifestyle, but only research will prevent arthritis. The Arthritis Society is the only non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for research into the causes of arthritis. It is the sole funding source for over 150 research projects across Canada, and commits more than $6 million a year to find better treatments and a cure for arthritis. The Society provides a range of programs and services to support, educate, and treat people living with arthritis. On the move Blyth’s own Jamie Lewis leaped to a bronze medal during her performance at the Provincial Track and Field meet Friday night in Kitchener. Gerth competes at Pan-Am A Belgrave teen is making a name for himself in the ranks of top provincial and national athletes. Sjaan Gerth of Belgrave'captured second in the 3,000 metre steeplechase at a national junior track and field meet in Burnaby, Squirts beat Clinton Good play by many members of the Blyth 1 Squirts soccer squad gave them a win against Clinton June 30. Scoring for Blyth were Matt Stevenson, Blaine Hallahan, Brit­ CALL WAYNE TODD 98 BUICK CENTURY CUSTOM AUTO, fully loaded with pwr seats- cd & MAGS! 31 -°°o KMS' —' FACTORY WARRANTY INCLUDED SPECIAL OFFER: FEATURE OF THE WEEK BC in early July. Gerth ran a personal best time of 9:33 minutes in only his second attempt at the 3,000 metre distance. With the finish, Gerth qualified for the Junior Pan-Am Games in Florida this past weekend. tany Benjamins and Ben Rouw. Other team members are Brett Courtney, Michael McDowell, Laura Salverda, Aaron Gross, Natasha Lee, Robyn Nicholson, Andrew Bos and Jordan Bakelaar.