66 The World of Cross Stitching
Reader Story
http://www.gathered.how/woxsAvid stitcher and swimmer, Tracey McRobbie, shows us how determination can win you gold!
A stroke of luck
shifts as a childcare worker. Then,
when Tracey was 56 years old, her dad
suggested that she participate in the
55+ BC Games with him. The 55+ BC
Games is an annual multi-sport event
in British Columbia, Canada, which
is where Tracey lives. It is one of the
largest games organised in BC with
over 4,000 participants over the five-
day event and is hosted by a different
BC community each year.NEVER TOO OLD
Tracey’s dad, Ronald Huckerby, has
participated in the track and field
events at the 55+ BC Games since
they were first organised in 1987.F
or 50 years, cross stitching has
been Tracey McRobbie’s life and
passion. At the age of eight,Tracey was gifted her first crewel
embroidery kit. From there her love
and passion for stitching grew from
Petit Point and needlepoint to cross
stitch as a young adult. Tracey loves
gifting her finished stitching. She tells
us: “All of my projects given to friends
and family are something unique and
personal. So much joy fills my heart
to see their faces and then to see my
handiwork hanging in their homes.”
Tracey has a stitching buddy in her
granddaughter, Heidi. “At the age
of seven, Heidi showed an interest
in cross stitching from seeing all my
pictures on the wall,” says Tracey.
She continues: “I was so excited to
share my hobby and skills with her. I
introduced her with a beginner’s owl
pattern which she completed with
ease. I was very proud and amazed at
how good she was at stitching.”
Tracey finds stitching an outlet for
her creative ambitions and she loves
a challenge. As well as stitching, her
other passion is swimming. Tracey
remembers: “At a very young age
I started swimming lessons and
achieved every level there was right
up to lifeguard level. I would swim
in the early mornings before school
and participate in swim meets on
weekends. I won ribbons in the events
of relays, breaststroke and freestyle.”
Swimming stayed a big part of
Tracey’s life as she grew up and she
swam for health and fitness during
pregnancies and in between her split
“All of my projects given
to friends and family are...
unique and personal.”Family of winners: Tracey
and her dad have enjoyed the
special bonding time spent
competing in the Games.Tracey recalls: “I can always remember
him travelling all over British Columbia
to different host cities, participating
in the Games and bringing home the
medals for all of his achievements
and hard work.” When Tracey’s dad
asked her to join him in the Games,
she asked herself whether she was
good enough, but she decided she
couldn’t miss this opportunity – “I
was honoured to have this special,
memorable bonding time with my
dad. I realised I have no excuses if he
can do it at his age of almost 90 years
old,” she laughs.
In September 2018, Tracey and
Ronald took part in the 55+ BC