Author: Marty Hastings
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New Thompson Rivers University president Dr. Airini. Photo provided by Thompson Rivers UniversityNew TRU president meets struggles head-on
Thompson Rivers University president Dr. Airini is a whitewater kayaker who finds tranquility in eddies and chutes. “You’ve got to commit to the rapid, though if you’re going to do it, you’re going to do it well,” said Airini, noting Clearwater is among her favourite places to paddle. “For me, in those sorts of times,…
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The Brown rink, featuring, from left, Corryn Brown, Erin Pincott, Sarah Koltun, Samantha Fisher and Jim Cotter. Photo by Curling CanadaLocals to compete for Olympic curling spot
The Brown rink will become the first team from Kamloops to compete in the Canadian Olympic curling trials later this month in Halifax. “It’s once every four years,” said Brown third Erin Pincott, whose team earned its berth at trials on the merit of its position in 2024–2025 Canadian Team Ranking System standings. “You never…
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Casey Rodgers, left, of Team Canada and doubles partner Tatiana Ruhl celebrate winning gold at the 2024 Pickleball World Cup in Lima, Peru. Photo provided by Pickleball World CupKamloops represents in world pickleball
Casey Rodgers of Kamloops is a professional pickleball coach at a colossal club in the Caribbean and will represent Canada this fall at the sport’s World Cup in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “I could not have imagined when I picked up the paddle like seven or eight years ago that I would ever be here —…
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TRU Wolfpack gearing up for next season
Hailey Ward switched course in the spring of her graduating year at NorKam secondary, ditching plans to pursue a college education and volleyball career in the U.S.“I decided I wasn’t ready to move that far away and spend that kind of money, and my little sister was 13 at the time,” said Ward, a lifelong Kamloopsian who…
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Photo by NBA
Kelly Olynyk hoping to find stability in Texas
Kelly Olynyk and wife Jackie are expecting an addition to their roster, with a baby girl due to arrive in September. Preparation for parenthood was complexified this summer when the seven-foot NBA star was traded — twice — and landed with Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. The South Kamloops secondary graduate Olynyk made…
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Logan Stankoven enjoyed a well-earned vacation in Aruba following an impressive season of hockey. Logan Stankoven photoStankoven’s eyes are on the future
Logan Stankoven appeared to be at ease in his parents’ backyard, his Carolina Hurricanes’ hockey gear seen hanging through an upstairs window while he stood in for a table-tennis tilt and poolside interview. The 5-foot-8, 165-pound forward from Kamloops — at home for an off-season break — has every reason to be relaxed, including a…
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Arts school students conquer the soccer field
A musical note, a dancer in full flight, thespian masks, a paint brush, and a clapperboard appear on the front wall of Kamloops School of the Arts. There is room for a soccer ball, and a recent achievement on the pitch is augmenting the face of school identity. “I think the coolest part is probably just…
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O’Brien leaves a legacy of athletics
Glowing tributes are reminders of the impact her father had on the Kamloops sports community. “I mean, it’s just really going to make me cry,” Kathryn O’Brien said. “There’s definitely a big hole in my life right now, but to see him being held in such high esteem is heartwarming. And to know that he’s…
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New hockey book includes emotional closing for author
Author Ronnie Shuker veered away from personal narrative through most of The Country and the Game: 30,000 Miles of Hockey Stories. Closing paragraphs in the final chapter — British Columbia: The Last Game — are exceptions and include unvarnished accounts of his father’s slide into advanced dementia, along with a recap of Shuker’s last trip…
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From left: Corryn Brown, Erin Pincott, Jim Cotter, Sarah Koltun, and Samantha Fisher of Team Brown won gold at the B.C. Women’s Curling Championship last month in Langley. Amanda Wong photoA big month ahead for curling in Kamloops
Erin Pincott’s wins and wounds provide vantage for pebbled-ice profundity, her thoughts shared during a month eagerly anticipated by Kamloops curling aficionados. The Team Brown third spoke of nurturing love for the game when it feels unrequited, the hard-times devotion required in the wake of tormenting defeat, the faithfulness that preceded catharsis. After back-to-back losses in B.C. Women’s Curling Championship finals —…