August is a great time to visit the regional municipality of Wood Buffalo, otherwise known as Fort McMurray.
Team B.C. will be there at that time for the Western Canadian Games judo championships and there will be strength in numbers.
The 14-member B.C. team (seven girls, seven boys) was announced Thursday and it includes two judokas from Prince George - Kimiko Kamstra of the Hart Judo Academy and Lisa Russell of the Prince George Judo Club.
The other female B.C. team members are: Vanessa Kruger, Nanaimo Judo Club, Nanaimo; Alicia Fiandor, Nanaimo Judo Club, Nanaimo; Isabelle Harris, Abbotsford Judo Club, Abbotsford; Morgan Endean, Aberdeen Judo Academy, Pritchard; Kelsey Painter, Campbell River Judo Club, Campbell River.
The male team members are: Anthony Henry, Campbell River Judo Club, Campbell River; Simren Brar, Abbotsford Judo Club, Abbotsford; Leo Goldberg, Abbotsford Judo Club, Langley; Mitchell Wolfe, Abbotsford Judo Club, Abbotsford; Geoffrey Hanks, Aberdeen Judo Academy, Kamloops; Ario Nishimura, Steveston Judo Club, Richmond; and Tristan Alexander, Victoria Judo Club, Victoria.
They represent the top athletes in each of their 14 weight divisions.
"I am extremely happy to see the whole province represented on our judo team," said Team B.C. coach Aline Strasdin, head coach of the Prince George Judo Club and chair of the Judo BC technical committee.
"The Western Canada Summer Games are a great multisport opportunity for our younger athletes. Many of these athletes have attended the B.C. Winter Games, and this is great opportunity to help them prepare for larger events including the next Canada Winter Games in four years."
Bruce Kamstra of the Hart Judo Academy, who coached the B.C. judo team at the 2015 Canada Winter Games, was also named to the provincial team for the Western Canada Games.
The team was picked following a selection camp held in Steveston, March 28. Eligibility required competition in a series of tournaments and provincial team camps which began last September.
The 14 judokas will train for the Summer Games with their home clubs in the weeks leading up to the Games. Team B.C. will also travel to Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., for the Canadian judo championships, May 14-17.
