Maureen Paches’ single gold and two silver medals make her Westlock’s most decorated competitor thus far at the 2013 Alberta 55 Plus Summer Games.
Paches competed in the Cultural Competitions — encompassing arts, crafts and creative writing — which recently held their judging in Barrhead.
She won gold for her knitted afghan, and took silver for a pair of hand-sewn beaded moccasins and a Christmas table runner.
“I can’t believe I would win first prize for knitting an afghan when there are probably thousands of women in the province who knit afghans,” Paches said.
In order to be awarded her medals, Paches first had to have her crafts judged from among her peers in Zone 5. That judging took place in Spruce Grove in early July.
Crafts needed to be ranked first or second in the zone to move on to the provincial judging in Barrhead.
Paches and her fellow winners were presented with their medals at a ceremony in Spruce Grove on July 13.
To have won three medals is something that is taking a while to sink in, she said.
“I’m just not kind of figuring out the importance of it,” she said.
The judging day was an “exciting” event, Paches said, explaining there was a pep rally to recognize the volunteers who helped put the whole competition together.
Looking back on her three medals, Paches said she had many chances to win medals, having entered 10 different craft pieces. But her fellow competitors saw to it that she only won three.
“The crafts must be pretty wonderful there because I had entered some other things that didn’t win prizes,” she said.
All her winning crafts are currently in storage in Barrhead, she said, and likely won’t be put on display in the Barrhead Curling Rink until the Games open on July 25.
