Vulcan gets into Olympic spirit, supporting local rubgy star Keyara Wardley
Vulcan, Alberta may be known as the “Official Star Trek Capital of Canada” but with the Tokyo Olympics about to begin many residents are turning their focus to an out of this world athlete, Keyara Wardley.
“We’re bursting with pride,” said Keyara’s mother Lisa Wylie. “We’re just anxious, and excited and it’s pretty awesome.”
Wylie’s daughter is a member of Canada’s female rugby team based in Victoria, and was among a dozen players selected to represent Canada in the rugby sevens in Tokyo.
The community has been openly displaying its pride, with businesses along Main Street displaying signs proudly proclaiming Wardley as a home town Olympian.
Vulcan sign July 20, 2021
“I’m super-excited to watch that, and to watch the Olympics now when you got a personal connection with it,” said family friend Cody Debolt.
Chiropractor Dr. George Liscombe said he has known Keyara since she was a little girl, and treated her during her sporting activities.
"I just said to Lisa, she's only got one speed, and that's wide open," added Liscombe. "We're pretty proud of her right now."
Wardley was an all-star with the County Central High School Hawks in Vulcan and burst onto the international rugby scene at the age of 16. She has been centralized with the national sevens program since 2017.
Keyara, Wardley, Vulcan, Alberta, Spock
Corey Ramer is owner of the Life Med Pharmacy, where Keyara had a part time job, starting when she was only 13.
“We’ve seen her growing up and developing as an athlete and a student,” said Ramer. “She’s an extremely hard working individual and I think that shows now, where she made it with the Olympic team.”
Ramer is looking forward to watching some of the games. “You’re more invested when there’s somebody you know whose there competing.”
While Olympic athletes are chasing gold, many are forced to make a financial sacrifice in order to follow that dream.
Vulcan residents are supporting their local hero through several fund raisers, including the sale of t-shirts, featuring an action shot of Wardley and the message “GO KEYARA GO!”
Family friend Jeannine Tucker of Black Diamond came up with another fundraising idea, selling 118 cases of steaks in just six days, to help Keyara with some of her expenses.
Selling steaks in Vulcan, Alta., to raise money to support Olympic rugby player Keyara Wardley
“These girls don’t make a lot of money and they’re expected to do these amazing things,” said Tucker, who knew Wardley through local rugby connections.
“She has been away from home training since she was 17,” added Tucker. “Our girls need as much support as they can get for rugby.”
While training in Victoria Wardley has been working in a bowling alley part-time, while continuing her schooling online, with the goal of getting into forensic science.
Main Street Vulcan is plastered with signs offering support. A large banner has been placed in Bell Park, next to a bust of Spock, made for Leonard Nimoy when he visited Vulcan in 2010.
Many people are stopping by to write messages on the banner, offering well wishes and good luck as Wardley prepares to compete on the world stage.
“We were just overwhelmed when we saw all the support from businesses and people on the street,” said Ken Wardley, Keyara’s grandfather.
“Amazing stuff,” added Wardley’s grandmother Verena. “I thought she was really too pretty and too small to play rugby, but look at her now.”
The proud grandparents live in High River, but made a drive to Vulcan Tuesday to pick up some more tee-shirts that have been purchased by a circle of friends they met while wintering in Arizona prior to the pandemic.
Verena said a number of their friends found out they had a granddaughter who made the Olympic team, “And they just called out of the blue and said we want to support, how can we do that?”
The couple said they have mailed t-shirts to friends in Wyoming, Wisconsin, Colorado and Winnipeg, “It just goes on and on,” added Verena.
Wylie said a group family and friends had purchased tickets to the Olympics and arranged for accommodations in Tokyo before a decision was made to ban spectators due to the COVID emergency in Japan.
While disappointed, Wylie said they are looking forward to watching the rugby sevens games on television, with the rest of the community.
The town of Vulcan is planning to set up a large screen downtown where residents will be able to watch the games. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, there are plans to move the screening indoors at the Vulcan Lodge Hall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hackers release corporate data stolen from London Drugs
Retailer London Drugs says cybercriminals who stole files from its corporate head office last month have released some of the data after it refused to pay a ransom.
Toronto man falls off his chair after seeing $70M Lotto Max win in his bank account
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account.
Montreal-area high school students protest 'sexist' dress code
Approximately 50 Montreal-area students — the vast majority of them female — were suspended Wednesday after their school deemed the shorts they were wearing were too short. On Thursday, several students staged a walk-out to protest what they believe is a "sexist" dress code that unfairly targets girls.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
'I won't stop,' Celine Dion says in trailer for upcoming doc about her health woes
Celine Dion's fans are getting a first glimpse of the superstar's struggle with a rare neurological disorder in an emotional trailer for an upcoming documentary about her career and life.
Hidden risks: Why ultra-processed food may be hurting our brains
Ultra-processed foods are quick, convenient and hard to avoid, but there is growing evidence that eating these products can have an impact on brain health, leading to cognitive decline and stroke.
What is 'slapped cheek disease' and should parents be concerned?
Despite its rough name, experts say most cases of 'slapped cheek disease' are mild and not a cause for concern.
Tim Meadows pledges not to shave until the Oilers win the cup, who are the team's other famous fans?
An unlikely celebrity emerged from social media to cheer on the Edmonton Oilers as they face the Dallas Stars tonight in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.
American Airlines retreats after blaming a 9-year-old for not seeing a hidden camera in a lavatory
American Airlines has distanced itself from a court filing in which the carrier said a nine-year-old girl should have noticed there was a camera taped to the seat of an airplane lavatory.