Over 100 athletes from Lethbridge and surrounding areas will be travelling to the Lakeland area for the Alberta Winter Games.
The 194 athletes will represent Zone 1 during the games, with 108 of those from the Lethbridge region. According to officials, there is expected to be more than 1,600 youth athletes from across the province to complete in 18 sports.
According to the Lethbridge Sport Council since the Alberta Winter Games program began in 1976, there have been roughly 50 alumni who have gone on to represent Canada at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Canadian Olympian Taylor Austin, a Lethbridge-born bobsleigh athlete, is one of those athletes.
“Austin made his Olympic debut at Beijing 2022, competing as a pilot in both the two-man and four-man events,” reads a statement from the local sports council. “He was recruited to bobsleigh after playing football at the University of Calgary and progressed through the North American Cup circuit, earning multiple overall titles before making his World Cup debut in 2022.”
Lethbridge Sport Council, Executive Director Susan Eymann,said the timing of the two events highlights the role the Alberta Winter Games can play in the long-term athlete development.
“It’s incredibly special to be celebrating the Alberta Winter Games at the same time as the Olympic Winter Games,” Eymann said. “The Alberta Games are an exciting starting point, offering quality competition, exposure to a multi-sport environment, and
friendships that last a lifetime. It’s where young athletes begin to see what’s possible.”
The 2026 Alberta Winter Games will be held Feb. 13–16 in Alberta’s Lakeland Region, with competitions taking place in Bonnyville and Cold Lake.
