The 6,000 km road to the games proved long and weary for PEI’s squash and table tennis teams. Beset by snowstorms, airline mechanical problems, missed connections and delayed luggage, the 19 determined travelers finally deplaned in Whitehorse at midnight on Sunday, 68 hours after their departure from Charlottetown.
Most of the PEI mission turned out to applaud their arrival and help whisk them away to their lodgings.
“We went through a lot to get here,” says Danielle MacDonald of the women’s squash team.
“But we made the best of it,” she adds. “We came up with all kinds of ways to pass the time in airports, we bonded as a team, and we even made some new friends [with other travelers headed to Whitehorse].”
The 46-hour delay at the Halifax airport was the worst of it. During the wait, some of the table tennis players got their racquets out and found a place to rally the ball.
After a good night’s sleep, MacDonald felt refreshed on Monday and ready to give it her best in the preliminary rounds.
Her team’s goal for the six-day event to is to improve upon their ninth place ranking. Her own goal, to play as well as she can and come away happy with her performance.