Taylor Barth – Regina

Nominated by Special Olympics Saskatchewan

While representing Canada at the Special Olympics World Winter Games, Taylor Barth reached top of the podium in the M08 intermediate giant slalom with a time of 1:06.29 seconds and in the M06 intermediate slalom race with time of 31.99 seconds. In addition, Barth competed in the M01 intermediate super G event with a 42.52 second time and finished fourth.

Savannah Sutherland – Borden

Nominated by Saskatchewan Athletics

Savannah Sutherland broke four records, including a Canadian national one, in the women’s 400-metre hurdle event at the NCAA Track and Field Championships with a time of 52.46 seconds. It was the ninth fastest time ever ran in the event. In addition to the gold medal she received at that event, Sutherland also secured gold at other international and national meets.

Kash Tarasoff – Saskatoon
Nominated by Dive Sask

For the second consecutive year, diver Kash Tarasoff is named Youth Male Athlete of the Year. At 16 years old, Tarasoff was named to the senior national team while still a junior diver and accumulated three international bronze medals as one of the most junior divers to compete across the senior level events. While competing at Junior Elite Nationals, Tarasoff secured top of the podium and broke a provincial record previously set in 2019.

Ali Diehl – Prince Albert

Nominated by Prince Albert Sharks Swimming Club and supported by Swim Sask

As the youngest member of Team Canada at the World Para Swimming Championships, Ali Diehl secured fourth place in the women’s SB9 100-metre breaststroke event, while setting a personal best in the process. At that event, she also contributed to a fifth-place finish by the mixed 4×100 medley relay team. Diehl added to her medal count at the World Para Swimming Series, by claiming four medals and setting personal bests in each event.

Mary Carroll – Saskatoon
Nominated by Dive Sask

Diving coach Mary Carroll is named Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. In 2025, Carroll guided numerous athletes, across senior and junior levels to claim medals at various events, with many finishing in first place. One athlete under Carroll’s guidance claimed bronze and broke records as the most junior diver to compete in a senior level competition.

Team Bryden – Regina

Nominated by CURLSASK

Fresh off winning the national and provincial championships, Team Bryden represented the nation at the 2025 World Senior Men’s Curling Championship and went undefeated through pool play and advanced through playoffs to earn the championship title after defeating Scotland 10-7 in finals. The win extended Canada’s dominant history in the world senior men’s event, marking another gold in a tradition of success at the championships.

Nominated by Ringette Saskatchewan

• Since beginning his volunteer journey with ringette in 2013, Darin Degenstein has become a vital member of the community. His work as marketing director in 2022 led to a record-breaking number of youth players registered with the Regina Ringette Association. Degenstein has expanded the reach of ringette in the province by revitalizing its presence in Moose Jaw, in addition to founding the University of Regina Cougars’ ringette team. Drawing from his personal passion for the sport, Degenstein invests countless hours to ensure that the sport continues to grow so every athlete has the opportunity to experience the joy of ringette.

Nominated by Athletics Saskatchewan

• Forty-five years ago, Dave Elder started his volunteer journey with athletics, dedicating time as a track and field official and coach. In that time, he has become a provincial evaluator, which allows him to mentor and evaluate other officials who are seeking to upgrade their own credentials. Whenever there is an opportunity to officiate, Elder is there to fill the role. His volunteerism reaches even outside the realm of athletics, as he selflessly dedicated decades to Saskatchewan’s wrestling community, as well as football. He leads with a passion to serve others and works to ensure sport is fair and available to all involved.

Nominated by Skate Canada – Saskatchewan

• For three decades, Allyson Senecal has taken on various roles within figure skating and has been guided by an athlete-first philosophy when making decisions. Whether she is volunteering as in official or leading the Skate Canda – Saskatchewan board as President, Senecal works to achieve what is best for the sport and those involved. In the diverse areas that she volunteers, Senecal has played essential roles in ensuring provincial and national events take place without error. As technical representative, she oversees every part of competition and acts as a liaison between local organizing committees, officials, athletes, coaches and Skate Canada. Senecal’s selfless attitude is the base on which she has built success for the figure skating community in Saskatchewan.

Nominated by Dive Sask

• In 2012, Dive Sask saw an opportunity to turn their annual training camp in Cuba into a humanitarian trip and before long, its impact began to reach far into both communities. Over the last 13 years, athletes have travelled with more than the simple intention of training, as the team has since brought focus to how sport can be used as a bridge to build connection. During their visits, the team discovered a lack of training equipment available to Cuban athletes and began bringing ‘Love Suitcases,’ brimming with necessities such as bathing suits, wrist guards, water bottles and even one year, a bungee training system. Attending these training camps with a humanitarian perspective has allowed athletes on the Dive Sask Provincial Team to realize it’s more than state of the art facilities that build a champion; it’s the community and integrity found through sport.

Nominated by family and supported by Saskatchewan Target Shooting Association

• First met with adversity, Anshul Malik’s path to success in Saskatchewan has proven his resilience to pursue his dream of representing Canada on the Olympic stage. Early in his sporting career, Malik was forced to step away from his success on the Indian Junior Shooting Team and immigrate to Canada due to circumstances beyond his control. Once in Saskatchewan, he displayed acts of perseverance, never letting go of his identity as an athlete. Malik did not let the struggle of restarting in a new country break his spirit, instead he let the hardship fuel his passion to reclaim his dream and pushed himself beyond his limits. In 2025, his efforts produced tangible success on the national stage as Malik represented the province at the Canadian National Pistol Championship, where he claimed five medals.

Nominated by Saskatchewan Team Handball

• For Melissa Lock, having a coaching toolbox full of various certificates and areas of knowledge has allowed her to guide with intention and awareness, concepts that help build a strong team on and off the court. With that, she also shares her knowledge with others, guiding former athletes through their transition into the realm of coaching. She helps ensure that the next generation of handball coaches have the experience necessary to successfully continue growing the sport in Saskatchewan. She sees the potential in every athlete and works to help them achieve it, which includes advocating for teams to attend development opportunities. Over her 19 years as a coach, Lock has helped multiple athletes earn the chance to wear the maple leaf and represent Canada on the international stage.

Nominated by Saskatoon Alliance U17 Girls, supported by Saskatchewan Soccer Association

• Guiding athletes to reach various levels of success, Mark Lord has coached teams to become league champions. He acts as a positive force for his team and remains an uplifting presence.  In the almost three decades of coaching, Lord has dedicated personal time to researching health and sport safety, which he implements with his team to avoid over training and injury. For Lord, protecting his athletes’ physical wellbeing allows him to ensure they can continue to chase their passion for soccer. His outstanding displays as a coach have not gone unnoticed, with Lord being honoured with four separate awards highlighting his abilities and dedication.

Nominated by volunteer coach, supported by Waterski Wakeboard Saskatchewan

• David Wassill is a distinguished Master Coach Developer in the sport of waterski, with a career marked by contributions to coaching education in Canada. He selflessly supports new and accomplished water skiers from across the country and caters to each of their individual needs. In his 50 years as a coach, Wassill has dedicated an innumerable amount of hours to growing the adaptive water ski program in Canada, guiding many athletes from beginners to high-performance.  In 2023, for the first time in history, Canada was able to take a full team of athletes to compete at the World Disabled Waterski Championship — with many of them medalling — thanks to Wassill’s commitment to developing the adaptive program on a provincial and national level.

Nominated by Saskatchewan Athletics

• Throughout Harvey Weber’s 40-year coaching career, he has been involved in guiding athletes to reach success on the national to international stages. As head coach, he oversaw Team Saskatchewan’s athletics team to claim 74 medals, 21 of which were gold, at the 2019 Western Canada Summer Games. Weber goes beyond the role of technical coach, treating each athlete with equal respect as he maintains an inclusive and supportive environment. Over the years, Weber has coached a variety of athletes, from teenagers to those in their seventies, with many crediting their results and long-standing interest in the sport to him.