Moorefield native Lydia Kalbfleisch of the Durham College women’s fastball team has been selected to represent Team Canada at the 19th annual Maccabi Games, which take place in Israel from July 17 to 31.
Kalbfleisch, who played competitive ball locally in the Palmerston Marlins organization, will be joining Durham women’s fastball assistant coach Rosemary Theriault on Team Canada as Theriault was selected as a co-coach for the international event.
The Maccabi Games are quadrennial “Jewish Olympics,” held in Israel the year following the Olympic Games. Every four years, the best Jewish athletes from around the world compete in Open, Masters, Juniors, and Disabled competitions. The games are one of the top three gatherings of athletes in the world. Over 7,000 athletes represent over 55 countries and compete for gold, silver and bronze medals in their respective Sports.
Upon learning she had been selected to Team Canada, Kalbfleisch was excited about the opportunity and challenges ahead.
“I was overjoyed and excited at the same time,” said Kalbfleisch. “I felt so privileged to receive the opportunity.”
Kalbfleisch is in her first year of the sport management program at Durham College. She had an outstanding freshman year with the Lords, earning a silver medal at the provincial and national championships. She was second in OCAA wins (5) and had a 3.80 ERA with 29 strikeouts.
Along with the excitement of the games, Kalbfleisch is also looking forward to the level of competition she is going to see at the national level while keeping her expectations in check.
“I am hoping that we do really well as a team. I would ultimately like to win gold, but if we don’t, then I will feel honoured representing my country.”
