Media Advisory – January 17, 2025 – (Vancouver, BC)
Sport BC announces the finalists to be celebrated at the upcoming 57th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards taking place on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The event, to be hosted by CBC’s Scott Russell, recognizes the province’s best in amateur sport including athletes, coaches, teams, and officials for outstanding performances in their sport in the 2024 season. Each finalist was nominated by their Provincial or Multi-Sport Organization, High School, College, or University. The Selection Committee, led by long-serving Chair Bernie Pascall, included a diverse group of highly experienced British Columbia sport leaders and media members.
An additional six awards will be presented at the ceremony including the Best of BC, KidSport BC Community Champion, Harry Jerome Comeback, Daryl Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award and In Her Footsteps Honourees and the Bobbie Steen Legacy Foundation Award recipient.
“The Athlete of the Year Awards is a true celebration of sport in our province. The finalists listed below will be honoured at the event and represent exceptional efforts and accomplishments in 2024. We congratulate our finalists and the organizations they represent”, shares Sport BC’s President and CEO, Rob Newman. “We look forward to celebrating as a sector together on Thursday, March 6, 2025, at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The finalists represent 29 sports from communities all throughout BC demonstrating the collective strength of our province’s sport sector.”
Sport BC gratefully acknowledges the support of the 57th Annual Athlete of the Year Awards sponsors:
Female Athlete with a Disability
Danielle Ellis (White Rock, BC) – Sitting Volleyball
Julia Hanes (Vancouver, BC) – Para Athletics (Seated Throws)
Maggie Manning (Salmon Arm, BC) – Para Ice Hockey
Male Athlete with a Disability
Nathan Clement (West Vancouver, BC) – Para Cycling
Cody Fournie (Victoria, BC) – Para Athletics (Wheelchair Racing)
Sebastian Massabie (Surrey, BC) – Para Swimming
Female Coach of the Year
Laura Brown (North Vancouver, BC) – Cycling
Karen Kos (North Vancouver, BC) – Ice Hockey
Dorina Stan (North Vancouver, BC) – Gymnastics
Male Coach of the Year
Dylan Armstrong (Kamloops, BC) – Athletics
Igor Gantsevich (Richmond, BC) – Fencing
Richard Ikeda (Abbotsford, BC) – Gymnastics
High School Female Athlete of the Year
Agnia Krakovska (Maple Ridge, BC) – Wrestling (Maple Ridge Secondary)
Talia Phangura (Surrey, BC) – Athletics (North Surrey Secondary)
Miah Schuurman (Chilliwack, BC) – Basketball & Volleyball (Unity Christian School)
High School Male Athlete of the Year
Cole Bugden (Vernon, BC) – Basketball, Football & Golf (Vernon Senior Secondary)
Michealjeet Grewal (Abbotsford, BC) – Wrestling (WJ Mouat Secondary)
Emmet Ward (North Vancouver, BC) – Basketball, Football, Rugby & Track and Field (Windsor Secondary)
Junior Female Athlete of the Year
Chloe Primerano (North Vancouver, BC) – Ice Hockey
Amy Lee (Langley, BC) – Golf
Brooklyn Lee-McMeeken (Pitt Meadows, BC) – Gymnastics
Junior Male Athlete of the Year
Isaac Boehmer (Penticton, BC) – Soccer
Lowan Le Bris (Surrey, BC) – Judo
Nick Zhang (Vancouver, BC) – Fencing
Senior Female Athlete of the Year
Caileigh Filmer (Victoria, BC) – Rowing
Shallon Olsen (Surrey, BC) – Gymnastics
Camryn Rogers (Richmond, BC) – Athletics
Senior Male Athlete of the Year
Amar Dhesi (Surrey, BC) – Wrestling
Raymond Huang (Vancouver, BC) – Archery
Ethan Katzberg (Nanaimo, BC) – Athletics
Post Secondary Athlete of the Year
Nicolas Huerta –Track and Field (TWU)
Marie-Eloise Leclair – Track and Field (SFU)
Diego Maffia – Basketball (UVic)
Garrett Rooker – Football (UBC)
Katalin Tolnai – Soccer (UBC)
Team of the Year
UBC Thunderbirds Women’s Soccer
UVIC Vikes Women’s Field Hockey
Team Canada National Junior Squash Team
Master Athlete of the Year
Betty Brussel (New Westminster, BC) – Swimming
Gerald Poulton (Victoria, BC) – Squash
Diane Silzer (North Vancouver, BC) – Speed Skating
Official of the Year
Kevin Bowie (Vancouver, BC) – Wheelchair Rugby
Brian Hiebert (Vancouver, BC) – Beach Volleyball
Andrée Montreuil (Vancouver, BC) – Gymnastics
About Sport BC
Sport BC believes in the power of sport and is committed to building stronger communities through positive sport experiences. Our goal is to enhance and support sport participation in British Columbia ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive. Through our KidSport BC, BC Amateur Sport Fund, and BC Women & Sport along with our services Sport BC Insurance, and Payroll and Group Benefits; Sport BC supports our seventy plus member organizations. Keep up to date @SportBC
Media Contact Athlete of the Year Awards
Allison Mailer Thursday, March 6, 2025
Sport BC, VP Operations Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
[email protected] #SportBC57thAOY
778-839-8576 https://sportbc.com