Tony has been a volleyball coach at the school since last year. Each and every weekend he volunteers his time to travelling, volunteering and mentoring the team to be the best they can be. He took them to mega volleyball in Maidstone and took first place this year. With practices 2 to 3 times a week and leaving sometimes early Friday mornings just to make it to tournaments has been amazing to see. They have been to tournaments in Edmonton, Lloydminster and Paradise Hill just to mention a few. His perseverance has been incredible as he is also providing a father figure to many of these fatherless players.

Tony grew up on Makwa Sahgaiehcan First Nation without his father. He made his way through high school and managed to walk in his mothers footsteps and become an educator. He managed to break away from the drugs and alcohol that he grew up being surrounded by. He has been clean and sober for many years now and is raising his two nephews as he continues to try and be the best he can be.

Tony is one of the few educators that I believe to be deserving of this nomination. I often compare myself along with other educators and there are very few that have his level of commitment. It seems so many of us are busy with life and yet he somehow manages to always be there for the boys that are looking first nation male role models.

Jessica (Jess) Frotten demonstrates courage, determination, perseverance and unwavering spirit in sport by developing as an athlete and by working in the community to build an inspired world. Jess inspires people by setting an example through her life. Jess is hard working and determined to achieve her own goals as an athlete and as a community leader. Jess’ goal is to build an inspired world. She aims to do this by inspiring others through hard work and determination, so that they become people of inspiration for others. This creates a chain reaction of continuous inspiration to create a more inspired world.

Jess demonstrates determination by working on achieving her goals. Jess works hard on her athletic goals by training and competing. This year Jess decided to start training with a new coach. By choosing to train with a different coach she demonstrates her determination to continue to improve herself. Her determination and perseverance continued through her training while she recovered from her injury. With all her training, this year, Jess was able to compete in Nationals and the Commonwealth Games (Summer 2022). With all of her hard work Jess was able to win four gold medals at Nationals and was named Team Captain by Athletics Canada for the Commonwealth Games. Being named for a leadership role on a national level was an honour. This role inspires other athletes to work hard to achieve their own goals and things they are passionate about.

By working in the Saskatchewan para-athletics community Jess inspires others through her ability to make connections with others and by introducing them to adaptive sport. She works with people who have new injuries to bring them to sport programming and adaptive sport opportunities in Saskatchewan. She does this by meeting people with a mobility impairment or a new spinal cord injury and helps connect them in the community to other athletes and available sport programs with her involvement with Saskatchewan Wheelchair Sports Assoc. She aims to inspire others to be involved in their community and to join adaptive sports.

Jess’ vision for Saskatchewan athletics is for Saskatchewan to be a “powerhouse for para-athletics.” Saskatchewan has some amazing athletes and coaches continually improving each day. Jess is making Saskatchewan a powerhouse for para-athletics by developing a community within adaptive sport and by being a mentor in para-athletics. She passes along what she has learnt from her career to upcoming athletes and coaches and creates a supportive community of athletes, parents, and coaches.

Jess’ challenges have pushed her to grow and develop outside of her comfort zone. Once Jess is out of her comfort zone she has no other option but to grow and adapt. In the past year Jess’ biggest challenge has been learning to let go. Jess had to develop her skills to be flexible and adaptable in her environment. Jess used this challenge as a teaching tool. She viewed ‘learning to be flexible’ as a pace to grow and to appreciate skills, limitations and patterns she didn’t know were there. Being flexible has allowed her to be more resilient and durable when facing things that are out of her control. Jess uses these new skills to achieve her personal, athletic, and community building goals by sharing her experience, and the new skills and abilities she has learned.

Jess has learnt from her challenges and has developed self-knowledge and perspective skills. Jess has used her self-knowledge skills to be a mentor to others in the community, specifically those people who have sustained a new spinal cord injury. In addition, she has used her perspective when speaking about and demonstrating the possibilities post injury in both adaptive sport and community involvement as someone who has lived this journey.

Jess is a Paralympian athlete that inspires community members and athletes to pursue sport. She competed in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympics. She competed in the 400, 800, and 1500 metre races, and she set a personal best in the 4×100 metre relay. Her journey in para-athletics began when she moved from the Yukon, in 2011, to Regina to participate in the First Steps Wellness program. First Steps Wellness introduced her to the amazing world of adaptive sports. She liked racing in particular because she liked the technical aspect, and that everything she put into the sport was hers. From her first competition in 2013, Jess was headed for success on and off the track. In 2013 she won gold in the 400 and 1500 metre races, and she set out to continue to compete and introduce the world of adaptive sports to new athletes.

Being involved in the community has allowed Jess to grow by developing her personal relatedness and support skills. Jess has been involved in many community initiatives and she loves it! Being a part of communities gives her a sense of belonging and connection. Jess loves being connected to others to help make the “community a better place.” The community has helped her grow in many ways including, sharing personal relatedness and support.

Currently, Jess works at URO Medical Supplies as a transition specialist. Jess helps people, who have recently sustained a spinal cord injury, transition between rehab and home. She does this by introducing people to the variety of adaptive sport opportunities in the community. Jess wants to inspire others to be involved in the things that they are passionate about. Jess inspires others by using her hard work and community involvement as an example. Jess does not make it a goal to inspire others, it just happens because of the hard work she puts into the sport that she loves. One way Jess does this is by working hard on her community development. Just one example of Jess making her community better is when she worked with CPC and their partnership with The Great Trails to map the accessibility of Wascana Valley Trails in Regina. Mapping the accessibility allowed more people to use and enjoy the trail.

In November 2019, Taryn took her Equestrian Vaulting Instructor course. In March of 2020, she started her own club and had 2 lessons before covid stopped everything. Because she was only 17 at the time, she was coaching as an assistant coach under me (her mom). During the lockdown time, Taryn used that time to complete all of her other required multisport coaching courses to become fully certified. Once she was able to offer individual lessons in the summer of 2020, Taryn got her club up and going again. She was the main contact of inquiries, she plans the lessons, handles concerns or issues that arise, and managed the funds which included purchasing training equipment. In the fall of 2020, she had 4 athletes attend the Provincial Championships (as well as coached 2 other vaulters at the show from another club whose coach was unable to attend). Because she did not have an indoor facility to train in the winter months, in the winter of 2020-2021 Taryn offered online lessons. The athletes worked on fitness and musicality during those months. She also helped coach in another club with 7 vaulters in their heated facility weekly until the fall of 2021. In February 2021, she did a 1 day clinic for another group which resulted in her coaching 5 vaulters there on a weekly basis at their facility for about 6 months. In the spring of 2021, Taryn was able to start back up with the outdoor lessons for her club members. The club was growing and we needed to get compulsory suits made for the next competition. The seamstress she had hired was not getting them done, so Taryn went and picked up the supplies and made them herself. Finding freestyle outfits can also be a challenge, so Taryn contacted a local dance club and they were wanting to do a clean out of their outfits, so Taryn purchased several outfits so that in a pinch she would be able to assist someone not able to find an outfit for their performance. In 2021, she had 7 athletes compete at the Provincial Championship. She was offered a local indoor heated facility to train in, so the club now is able to train all year. She was instrumental in getting the club registered as a Not for Profit organization. She has been inspirational in not only in growing her club, but the sport as a whole in the province. She has sat on the board of the Saskatchewan Equestrian Vaulting Association since 2021 and is currently the Vice President. In 2022, she moved to Fort McMurray to take nursing. It was a difficult decision to leave her group of athletes behind, but we continued on with lessons at the barn as normal, only we had Taryn there virtually. We purchased a Pivo, which is an instrument that you attach your cell phone to and you can send out a link for someone to join virtually. Only with this device, Taryn was able to zoom in and out and turn the camera so that she could see everything on her screen and still coach all of the athletes, while they were on the horse or otherwise. Not only does Taryn have a passion for coaching her human athletes, she has also trained both the equine athletes she uses for her club lessons, plus 3 other equine athletes being used in other clubs. She is now searching for another suitable equine athlete to join our team as the vaulters are developing their skills and advancing in their level of vaulting. Taryn has a deep passion for the sport of Equestrian Vaulting, and it show in her athletes (human and horse).

Taryn has grown into a very responsible young person. It is a huge responsibility to manage an organization, especially on that most of the people you are dealing with have never heard of this sport before, so it provides a few additional challenges at times. She has become very innovative with dealing with unpredictable situations, from covid canceling everything she had planned when she was just getting started to unpredictable weather when lessons were only outdoors. It has been a joy to watch Taryn grow and mature as a coach and as a leader to her vaulters. She is always looking for new ways to grow and gain more knowledge to help her athletes. She is currently participating in an FEI (our international organization) sponsored ESEE coaching program lasting 3 years working with top judges and coaches from around the world.

Taryn has trained as a vaulter with several international level competitors and former world champions. She still competed herself this year at the Provincial Championships. She is always looking for feedback from the judges to expand her knowledge to ensure she is doing the best for her athletes (those with 2 legs and those with 4 legs). She is now working with this high level of athletes as a coach through the FEI ESEE program (mentioned above). She is young and ambitious and is still trying to grow herself as a coach. She is still continuing to do this for the sport all while taking her nursing degree. Even though she was a “virtual” coach last year for part of the year while she was away at school, I was still able to be at the barn with the horses and her athletes still continued to improve. Honestly, we were a bit unsure of how it would work, but in the end we were extremely happy with how our vaulters accepted the new way of training and how much they still continued to grow and progress in their vaulting, too.

Adaptive Waterski Canadian Team member and Saskatchewan resident shattered the MP3 Men’s Trick World Record at the recent 2023 IWWF Disabled World Waterski Championships. As well, his total cost score points contributed to Canada’s first ever team medal at a World Championships. Meet Blake Lamontagne, a 33 year old adaptive Waterskiier from Wawota, Saskatchewan who competes in all three events in the MP3 division. Blake has consistently showcased exceptional skills and perseverance on the water, earning him the honor of Male Adaptive Athlete of the Year three times.

Blake has attended the World Disabled Waterski Championships on three occasions and continued to improve at each event. This shows Blake’s commitment to improve and his unwavering determination.

Blake competes in all three events in waterskiing. The trick event is composed of a series of figures that make up two-20 second passes. The slalom event is composed of a six buoy slalom course and upon completion of each pass, the speed increases and/or the rope is shortened. The jump event consists of three chances to go over a 5’ jump and land as far of a distance as possible.

Blake continues to improve in all three events and although he has broken the World Record in tricks, I am confident that he will continue to push himself in all three disciplines.

Blake’s path to where he is now has not always been easy. He has suffered some set backs and at times it seemed like the universe was conspiring against him. But through all of those ups and downs, Blake has persevered and never given up.

16 years ago, life took a turn for Blake when he became a T4 paraplegic. Through hard work and support his spirit remained strong. The world of waterskiing opened up for him through another adaptive athlete, Chris “Cowboy” Pearson. Ever since, waterskiing hasn’t just been a sport for Blake; it has been a testament to his determination and spirit.

Blake has been an inspiration to many other adaptive athletes by sharing his story and demonstrating his determination. Blake is conscientious about his fitness and has made a life for himself as an adaptive athlete.

For Blake, it is always about the journey and taking things one day at a time. No obstacle is too big to overcome. He fondly says, “my favorite memory is the next one.” This demonstrates Blake’s attitude which seems to be “that was great, but let’s see what comes next.”

Blake has participated in weightlifting, sledge hockey, cycling, golf and many other sports. He is a role model for people with a spinal cord injury, demonstrating that there are many opportunities for people with a disability to engage in life.

Previous awards:
2019 Waterski Wakeboard Canada Male Athlete of the Year
2021 Waterski Wakeboard Canada Male Athlete of the Year
2022 Waterski Wakeboard Canada Male Athlete of the Year

Current National Trick Record Holder MP3
Current National Jump Record Holder MP3

2023 World Trick Record Holder, MP3 category
2023 Worlds, Silver Medalist, Men’s Seated Category, Trick
2023 Worlds, Team Canada Member, Silver Medalist

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Sheila Leach(Leach-Dougherty) has been involved in sport for more than 30 years. She was the founder of Estevan Minor Football in 2008, and recently inducted into the Estevan Football Family Wall of Fame as a charter member. Prior to this Sheila was a member of the City of Estevan Parks and Recreation Board, she was a Waterpolo Coach, Royal Lifesaving National Lifeguard Instructor and Examiner, and Baseball coach.

Sheila began her commitment to Rowing Officiating in earnest in 2013 when when she attended a Level 2 Course for RCA umpires. In 2015, she passed the level 2 exam and umpired at the Canadian Masters National Regatta and the Royal Henley Regatta.

Sheila continued to serve at regattas across the province and country, attending the 2018 Canada Summer Games in St. Catharines. Sheila completed the L3 Chief Umpire (CU) training in 2019 and has since served as the Chief Umpire for Regina Sprints, and Beach Sprints from 2019-2023, Head of the Sask Regatta 2021, 2023, and the Sask Indoor Rowing Championships 2019-2023. She has umpired for Dino Sprints Alberta, 2022,2023, 2016, and for the prestigious North West International Rowing Association Regatta.

Sheila has served as a Director of the Saskatchewan Rowing Board since 2019, and has been the key driver in our growth and succession planning for Officials in the position of Director of Programs.Sheila is also the key mentor to Saskatchewan umpires in our province, taking her time to train, study with, test exam and mentor at regattas all of our umpires. She is also a key driver in increasing the number of sanctioned events in our province.
Sheila currently represents Saskatchewan Rowing at the Provincial Advisory Council which bring provincial concerns to the National Governing Body.

Sheila works for SaskPower in the Energy Department.

What makes Sheila even more amazing, is that in December of 2022, she suffered a heart attack, having two stints placed at this time, and another two stints on December 30th. In addition, she has diabetes and an insulin dependency that requires significant time and energy to manage. She has begun the long journey back to health. And while she is still not 100% she continues to offer her time, energy, focus and wisdom, to growing the sport of rowing, and specifically umpires in our province.

In March of 2023, Sheila was named as Member of the Year for her volunteerism, dedication and support of rowing in Saskatchewan, and for her courage to continue to push through her while managing her significant medical conditions.

Sheila has grown considerably over the years. She has moved from serving as a volunteer umpire at regattas to becoming our chief umpire mentor, leader, and developer of umpires. She has grown in her capacity to communicate a vision and find the resources to make it happen. She has developed keen listening skills and the capacity to take feedback on programs and her own mentorship style. Through the development of an umpire survey, she regularly takes feedback from those she works with.

Sheila has always been a strong force able to push forward her goals with a quiet, determination. Through her most recent health challenges, she has had to pull back from paid work with SaskPower, but continues to offer her mentorship, guidance and wisdom to all of the SaskRowing initatives.

• Sheila-Leach-Nomination-Inspire-Through-Sport-2023-P-Marcotte.pdf

Lindsay Markwart has been a shining example of what it means to be a Special Olympics athlete for over 20 years. She is always trying to the best of her abilities, willing to practice hard, take direction, is gracious in both success and defeat and supportive of the efforts and successes of other athletes.

She currently enjoys bowling, bocce, athletics, fitness, and walking club with Special Olympics Regina. Lindsay has participated in competitions on at local, provincial, interprovincial, and national levels. Her open acceptance of others, upbeat personality and welcoming smile have earned her many friends over the years and there are athletes from other communities that seek Lindsay out at competitions because they enjoy her company.

Lindsay not only exhibits the best qualities looked for in a Special Olympics Athlete, she is also a great ambassador for the community. Her beautiful smile and friendly greeting have been seen and returned by many over the years as Lindsay participates in community events and fundraising campaigns sponsored by Tim Horton’s, Cora’s, Staples, Safeway’s/Sobeys along with other more local events such as the Santa Claus Parade.

On her home turf Lindsay is always ready to greet newcomers and welcome them into the fold. If they are athletes she will encourage them to try their best and have fun, if they are spectators they are encouraged to cheer the athletes on. When travelling she is excited to meet new people and make new friends, experience competition in new venues and encourage all around her to do their best.

At the recent Saskatchewan Winter Games Lindsay was asked the first morning of competition to rearrange her days in order to step in last minute to fill out another community’s team. An athlete had dropped out last minute and the team would have been disqualified. Within an hour Lindsay showed up to the competition and not only did she show up she brought her A game, the team performed well together, and was able to win a medal. Lindsay is a true representative of the Special Olympics athletic and community spirit encompassed in this award and would be a worthy recipient.

Lindsay has participated in competition at local, provincial and national level. Part of that participation requires regular practice and training, increasing her skill level. Lindsay was also recently asked on very short notice (maybe an hour) to step in as a bowling tournament participant for another community as one of their athletes was unable to make it, there was no spare and a full team was required. Lindsay very willingly stepped in to help out and performed very well at the competition, receiving a medal.

Lindsay participates in several sports and is always trying to do her best. She attends practice regularly and participates in competition whenever it is available.

Lindsay is welcoming to everyone around her, she greets friends, team mates and coaches with enthusiasm and a beautiful smile and is always ready to meet new comers and make them feel welcome. If anyone is having a bad day she is Lindsay is ready with a pat on the shoulder or a hug if needed and a word of encouragement.

Before Covid, when the athletics team regularly participated in the Winnipeg track meet there were athletes from other communities that would specifically come looking for Lindsay as part of the Regina team due to her warm smile and friendly and welcoming attitude.

Due to her commitment and passion as a Special Olympics athlete, Lindsay received two major awards this past year. The first being the SOS Shining Star Award, as well as receiving the first ever Special Olympics Canada Athlete Community Excellence Award (note this award will be awarded in November 2023, and is still confidential)

Raija demonstrates courage, determination and perseverance through every avenue of our sport. Throughout our diverse province Raija is known for her amazing work with Mee Sports( Total Spirit). She is an amazing athlete of whom I have been lucky enough to coach for several years. She also gives her self to the teams she coaches. Raija coaches one of the provinces most renowned abilities cheerleading team. Through her patience and knowledge of the sport she has the ability to make everyone feel like a world’s athlete. Raija also coaches the youngest team to attend Cheerleadin Worlds in Orlando Flordia. Every day she shows she is a role model for so many people within our small cheerleading community.

Raija started cheerleading as a young athlete. She has been with Warman Ultimate Cheerleading for 15 years. She started as a shy but determined child and she has grown into the most amazing adult through the support of many of her own supports.

I know this is only the start to what Raija is capable of. Watching her succeed year after year is such a joy.

Team Saskatchewan Gymnaestrada, TSG, is a group of 52 athletes ranging in age from 11-60+ from across Saskatchewan. The group was formed in 2022 based on applications and auditions. TSG members are from all across the province including Regina, Saskatoon, Esterhazy, Prince Albert and 11 members from Peepeekisis First Nation. The 52 athletes also come from a variety of sport backgrounds including artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatics, dance, and powwow. The athletes participated in monthly training camps at locations around the province to create and rehearse a 15 minute routine that was then performed at World Gymnaestrada in Amsterdam in August of 2023 as TSG represented Canada at this prestigious event with over 20,000 athletes from around the world. World Gymnaestrada takes place once every 4 years and features the largest number of active participants of any gymnastics event in the world.

TSG’s collaboration between gymnasts and powwow dancers resulted in an incredible act of reconciliation as the performers learned from each other and participated in workshops and lessons including the Blanket Exercise to enhance and develop a greater understanding of the harmful effects of colonization on Canada’s First Nations People.

The group’s performance was called “Re-Creating Community” and had a theme of a shared vision for a future in Canada where we live in harmony with one another. All music used in the routine is from Indigenous artists including an original song written for the routine and performed live by the Red Eagle Cree Drum Group. The routine received critical acclaim at World Gymnaestrada as the first performance incorporating traditional Indigenous music, drumming, regalia and dancing together at a World Gymnaestrada event. The athlete’s commitment to learning more about their shared history and to working towards actualizing the Calls to Action in the TRC was apparent in all that they did and shared. They grew as athletes and as people through participation in this team and they inspired others from around the world with their performances at World Gymnaestrada.

This award is to recognize “those whose pursuits and accomplishments have broken barriers, promoted inclusion or encouraged people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to participate” I believe TSG has broken down many barriers between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people, athletes and spectators alike. TSG has inspired people from across the province and around the world to collaborate and celebrate sport together, to work with and learn from each other. Their performance has shown Indigenous children and athletes the sport of gymnastics in a manner that is inclusive, accepting and honouring of their culture and traditions. TSG truly embodies the spirit of this award.

The team grew personally and collectively as they learned together and as they performed together. Collectively, they learned about colonization and the Indigenous and non-Indigenous teammates had the opportunity to learn about one another’s traditions and lived experiences through training camps, team bonding activities, work with Elders and Knowledge Keepers, team travel and, of course, performing together before a global audience. As a gymnastics team, TSG is working to restore relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. Their choreography symbolizes and celebrates what they have learned from one another. In fact, many parts of their routine are informed by Indigenous ways of knowing and being. Participation in this event forever changed the participants and their views and feelings about what it means to be a Canadian and our shared responsibility for reconciliation.

Sask Sport has identified “contributing actively to reconciliation through sport” as one of the guiding principles in the new Sport Development Framework. I cannot think of a better example of this principle than the experience shared by this incredible team. The performance was groundbreaking and meaningful, it influenced discussions among a global community. Re-creating Community was more that an artistic commentary, it was a lived experienced of reconciliation shared by an incredible group of athletes of diverse ages, abilities, sport disciplines, and cultures who inspired and were inspired through sport. On November 27, TSG will be recognized in the Saskatchewan Legislature for the collaboration between Gymnastics Saskatchewan and the Peepeekisis First Nation and for their positive representation of their province and nation at World Gymnaestrada in Amsterdam in August of 2023.

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The parents and board of the Northeast Edge Fencing Club are nominating Pam Wojciechowski for the Sask Sport Inspire through Sports Award. Pam deserves this award because of her continued dedication to the sport, the community and instilling in our club the values of equity, diversity and inclusivity.

Pam brought the sport of fencing to the northeast by starting the Northeast Edge Fencing Club in 2019. She continues to be the Club president despite not being a former athlete or having her own children active in the sport recently. She attends all provincial tournaments in her commitment to the Directoire Technique position that she began in 2021. Pam lives the values of inclusivity and diversity. The Northeast Edge Fencing Club is a welcoming and safe environment for an incredibly diverse group of people. Our club has members from age 5 to 77. We have members who are neurodivergent, LGBTQIA2S+, newcomers with English as a second language, etc. Our club hosted a provincial tournament in January of 2023. On the event brochure, she demonstrated her values by writing “We will continue to promote fencing in NE Saskatchewan and give everyone of our fencers a safe, bully free and inclusive environment to learn and grow in our sport.”

She has reduced the barriers for new athletes to discover the incredible sport of fencing: She actively promotes Kidsport; she secured all the necessary equipment to supply for the athletes; she has worked hard on fundraising and sponsorship; the club operates in two different rural communities to improve access for all areas of the Northeast; she even gives rides and best of all, she always has an encouraging smile on her face. She makes sport fun. Pam has inspired me because she has shown that if you want something, go out and do it. She started this club, became a leader for the club, obtained all the equipment, learned about respect in sport, and learned how to run provincial tournaments. This is all while running a small business and raising a family. She has shown that living in a rural area is not a barrier to bringing a unique sport to the area. Northern Saskatchewan is better for having a variety of sport options.

Pam has created a welcoming and accepting atmosphere for all. Her and the Coach, John Brunning’s, leadership and demonstration of inclusion has created that culture in our club. All athletes support each other and senior members mentor younger members. You will often come into practice and witness experienced competitive fencers helping lesser skilled recreational athletes practice. A few examples of the culture in the club include: fencer Eric joined the club at 7 years old. His mom writes that Pam and the club made him feel welcome even though he is shorter than the average fencer, especially when for the last two years he has been part of the competitive fencing group. One of the club members was kind enough to bring a wheeled kneepad used for painting so that the adults/teens could get down to Eric’s level. This helped Eric build his skill. Eric’s family is very grateful for the kindness Pam and the club show every member. Another example is Robbie, Robbies mom writes that when Pam was made aware of Robbie’s name change and gender, she would immediately start to use the preferred name and pronouns. She made it a priority to show her support of the lgbtq+ community. When Robbie went competitive she helped Robbie to change their name on their fencing license. Pam made Robbie feel welcome in the big weird community that is fencing. My son, Mason, tried at least 15 different activities before coming to a free fencing session last year. He never really fit in anywhere but he immediately loved fencing. Pam encouraged him to go to a competition when he had been fencing for a just a few weeks. Her and the club helped him every little step of the way. His self-esteem, physical fitness and sense of community have benefited so much from this club and sport. This sport is actually influencing his post secondary choices. Had we not had a local club he may never have tried it.

These are just a few of the stories of our club members. The growth and development of these athletes is all thanks to Pam for creating this club, making is accessible and creating a culture of inclusion for all. Sport unites us but diversity is what makes us stronger.

Pam showed incredible perseverance to keep the Northeast Edge Fencing club going despite starting it just shortly before the pandemic. She has worked hard to learn the Provincial position of Directoire Technique for our provincial competitions. Her heart is so dedicated to this club and every individual. You can tell that she truly cares about each person as an individual. She has inspired all of our athletes to grow in all ways, as demonstrated in the personal stories shared in the nominee’s story.