Sport BC celebrates the achievements of BC’s sport community at the 44th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards presented by TELUS
Olympic and Paralympic athletes pay tribute to vision of John Furlong over the past decade
Immediate Release:
April 1, 2010
Richmond BC – Sport BC honoured the best of BC’s sport community tonight at the 44th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards presented by TELUS. Athletes, coaches, volunteers and officials from across the province were recognized with awards from 20 distinct categories, celebrating the recipients’ achievements over the past year and their dedication to sport.
Sport BC’s 44th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards recipients:
Athlete with a Disability sponsored by Global Television
Donovan Tildesley, Vancouver, Swimming
Coach of the Year sponsored by BCLC
Jozef Nagy, Vancouver, Swimming
High School Female Athlete
Jessica Barnett, North Vancouver, Multi-sports
High School Male Athlete
Joseph Patko, Port Coquitlam, Football
College Athlete sponsored by Infigo
Loren Lidin, Port Moody, Soccer
Junior Female Athlete
Sue Kim, Langley, Golf
Junior Male Athlete
Andre Ho, Richmond, Table Tennis
Master Athlete sponsored by SBC Insurance
Olga Kotelko, West Vancouver, Athletics
University Athlete sponsored by The Province
Jacob Doerksen, Abbotsford, Basketball
Official of the Year sponsored by The Vancouver Sun
John Cull, Surrey, Athletics
Team of the Year sponsored by Team 1040
Vernon Vipers, Vernon, Hockey
Senior Female Athlete sponsored by O2 West Personal Fitness and Active Rehab
Annamay Pierse, Vancouver, Swimming
Senior Male Athlete sponsored by TELUS
Manuel Osborne-Paradis, Invermere, Alpine Skiing
Community Champion
Emily Brydon, Fernie, Alpine Skiing
Best of BC
Mitch Berger, North Delta, Football
Daryl Thompson Award
KC Emerson, Vancouver, Triathlon
Harry Jerome Comeback Award sponsored by Chef Claire
Jim Armstrong, Richmond, Wheelchair Curling
2010 Olympian sponsored by City of Vancouver
Maëlle Ricker, Squamish, Snowboardcross
2010 Paralympian sponsored by Resort Municipality of Whistler
Lauren Woolstencroft, North Vancouver, Para-Alpine Skiing
Sportsman of the Decade
John Furlong, Richmond
“Amateur sport is integral to the growth and health of any community,” said Sport BC’s President and CEO, Paul Varian. “These awards are an indication of the success of BC programs and the dedicated effort of all those involved in supporting this sector. We are proud to honour these athletes, coaches and officials for their many achievements and outstanding representation of the BC sport community.”
This year’s finalists represented 27 BC communities and 20 different sports, highlighting the depth of the sport sector throughout the province. Award recipients were chosen by a selection committee composed of 30 BC sports media representatives and sport leaders with a combined 370 years of experience.
Two new awards were handed out to honour the achievements of BC’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes from the 2010 Games. Over 3,000 votes determined Maelle Ricker and Lauren Woolstencroft as the winners, who were recognized at the ceremony for their extraordinary contributions during the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.
BC’s Olympians and Paralympians were also on hand to pay tribute to VANOC CEO, John Furlong who was awarded the Sportsman of the Decade award by Sport BC for his extraordinary contributions to amateur sport through the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
About Athlete of the Year Awards presented by TELUS:
Sport BC’s Athlete of the Year Awards is the longest-standing sport recognition event in the country. Awards in 17 different categories are given each year to athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers based on their performance and contribution to sport in the province, with the introduction of 2 new awards in 2010 to celebrate the achievements of BC’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes. The awards play a valuable role in nurturing athletic success and recognizing some of BC’s growing talents. For a list of previous award winners and for further information on the 44th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards presented by TELUS, please visit www.sport.bc.ca.
About Sport BC:
Sport BC believes everyone is an athlete– whatever their sport, whatever their level. Our passion for sport is a passion for building strong, healthy communities by giving everyone in BC the opportunity to be the athletes they are. We are the engine driving amateur sport in BC, inspiring participation and supporting its activation through the 65 Provincial Sport Organizations who bring sport to life in BC. For more information, please visit sportbc.com
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For more information, please contact:
Jessica Doherty
Coordinator, Marketing & Communications
Sport BC
T: 604.333.3422
E: jessica.doherty@sportbc.com
