CANADA’S COACHING STARS ARE CELEBRATED AT THE PETRO-CANADA SPORT LEADERSHIP AWARDS GALA

For immediate release

Winnipeg (November 13, 2015) – Canada’s coaches and sport administrators were honoured at the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership Awards Gala, hosted by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC), on Friday night at the Delta Winnipeg hotel.

The gala recognizes Canada’s most dedicated, inspiring, and successful coaches. Annually, award recipients are honoured for exemplifying the values and competencies of the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) and for their influence in positively shaping the Canadian sport community. The event was emceed by multi-Paralympic Games medalists Elisabeth Walker-Young and Stephanie Dixon, respectively Chef de Mission and Assistant Chef de Mission at the Toronto 2015 Parapan Am Games.

“The CAC is proud to recognize these coaches for their passion and dedication to sport and for making a positive impact on athletes and communities across Canada,” stated Lorraine Lafrenière, CEO of the CAC. “The Year of Sport has been a great year for Canada and tonight was an opportunity to celebrate their contributions to these successes, both on and off the field of play. I am proud to congratulate all of our 2015 award recipients,” she continued.

For pictures and videos of the award recipients and their inspiring stories, please click on the following links: VIDEOS - PHOTOS.

THE WINNERS ARE:

Geoff Gowan Award

The Geoff Gowan Award was created by the Coaching Association of Canada in 1996 and recognizes lifetime contributions to coaching development. It is awarded to coaches who have presented a positive public image of coaching and who have enhanced the role of the coach with the Canadian public. The award resides at Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in Calgary, Alberta.

Dr. John Hogg – Swimming (Salmon Arm, BC)

“For over 30 years, Dr. Hogg has successfully coached at the club, university, and international levels and has guided many athletes to world-class competition. His achievements truly represent the outcomes of a lifetime dedicated to coaching. John is fully deserving of this award and we’re honoured to be able to celebrate his contributions to sport and coaching in Canada,” said Gabor Csepregi, Chair of the CAC Board of Directors.

“I am both delighted and honoured to receive the 2015 Geoff Gowan Award. Geoff was instrumental in persuading me as a young national swim coach in Great Britain to come to Canada in 1974 as part of the ’76 Olympic Games preparations. He pointed out the many benefits of making huge leap to new challenges in a new country and made me promise to make a serious contribution to the education of swim coaches, something I tried to do with his continued encouragement and support along the way,” commented Dr. Hogg.

Jack Donohue “Coach of the Year” Award

This award recognizes a coach who exemplifies the great qualities that made Jack Donohue the legendary coach he was. These qualities include honesty, integrity, a positive attitude, competitiveness, a love of the sport, and that sport is about more than just wins and losses.

Lisa Thomaidis – Canada Basketball (Saskatoon, SK)

“Lisa, a Chartered Professional Coach (ChPC), has a positive attitude and a love of sport that are infectious. That has served as the foundation from which her athletes and support staff turned in two gold medal performances, with only a few weeks from podium to podium. She is a role model for all coaches with a strong ethical foundation as a leading competitive coach in Canada,” said Lorraine Lafrenière. “We are extremely proud of Lisa and she epitomizes the traits that Jack Donohue exemplified.”

For Lisa Thomaidis, the award is truly a reflection of an amazing summer of accomplishment. “Being recognized as the Jack Donohue Award winner is certainly a wonderful feeling. To be named a recipient of an award whose namesake is a legendary Canadian basketball coach, makes it extra special. I’m honoured to have played a part in this historical summer and want to acknowledge all of the world-class staff who also contributed greatly to the teams’ success,” she said.

Investors Group National NCCP Coach Developer Award

This award recognizes an outstanding individual who has gone above and beyond to inspire and develop NCCP coaches in their community. It is awarded to one national winner every year.

Sherry Robertson, ChPC – Synchro Canada (Edmonton, AB)

John Wiltshire, Senior Vice-President, Marketing at Investors Group said: “Investors Group is honoured to have the opportunity to recognize leaders who not only inspire others within their own communities but who also inspire us all with their commitment to community. We are extremely honoured to present the National NCCP Coach Developer Award to Sherry Robertson for her commitment to coach development.”

“I am thrilled to be the recipient of this prestigious award that acknowledges all of the incredible work that both Synchro Canada and the CAC have done to develop and deliver world-class coach education. Thank you for this great honour,” said Sherry Robertson, ChPC.

Sheila Robertson Award

The Sheila Robertson Award recognizes a deserving National Sport Organization or Multi-Sport Service Organization that demonstrates a consistent approach in valuing and recognizing the role of the coach within the organization, the media, and the public.

Canada Basketball

“The Sheila Robertson Award is a very prestigious honour to receive for Canada Basketball’s Coach Education Program. We are very proud of the work we’ve done in building and executing the NCCP. Recognizing how vital coaches are to our system, we’ve worked to provide unique opportunities for them to learn. Coach Schools, Mini-Basket, and our coach education website are pieces that are non-traditional and are designed to be creative with philosophy and delivery.” – Michele O’Keefe, President and CEO of Canada Basketball

Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Awards

These prestigious awards recognize coaches whose athletes have excelled at World Championships, Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the Special Olympics World Games. Petro-Canada, a Suncor business, has been a key supporter of Canadian coaches and the Coaching Association of Canada through its many programs since 1999.

“It is the hard work of Canadian coaches that help fuel our athletes’ dreams. Congratulations to each recipient,” said Marc Goodman, director, loyalty and strategic partnerships, Suncor. “We are delighted to celebrate their dedication to the athletes and sport.”

ALBERTA

Matthias Ahrens, ChPC: Biathlon

Athlete: Nathan Smith

Cameron Jennings: Cycling

Athlete: Ross Wilson

Robin McKeever, ChPC: Para-Nordic

Athlete: Brian McKeever

Mark Wild, ChPC: Speed Skating

Athlete: Ivanie Blondin

Kelly Zackodnik: Special Olympics – Athletics

Athletes: Robert Burns, Stéphane Daguerre, Maxime Duguay, Gabriel Dupuy, Sylvain Forest, Jeneka Greif, Lindsay Kinnear, Ryan Kneisz, Olivier Lizotte, Lisa Manzardo, Padraig McIntyre, Michael Palitti, Catherine Partlow, Jennifer Riddell, Kathryn Saunders, Marianne Scharf, Catherine Smith, Peter Snider, Audrey Vincent

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Randy Bennett, ChPC: Swimming

Athlete: Ryan Cochrane

Dona Cade: Special Olympics – Bocce

Athletes: Margaret Burnell, Chad Conlon, Kevin Ellis, Lynden Hicks, Ben Willms

Deborah Carter: Special Olympics – Athletics

Gerald Dragomir, ChPC: Athletics

Athlete: Benjamin Thorne

Tom Johnson, ChPC: Swimming

Athlete: Emily Overholt

Rob Kober, ChPC: Freestyle Ski

Athlete: Mikaël Kingsbury

Lorena Mead: Special Olympics – Softball

Athletes: Karl Anderson, James Blacke, Ryan Courtemanche, Richard Gillis, Chris Harrington, Brad Hogan, Jim Laitar, Jonathan MacDonald, Jake MacFarlane, Andrew McIntyre, Dale Ramsden, Chris Roberge, David Scott, Danny Sperling, Carl Willing

Aleila Miller: Special Olympics – Athletics

Tom Norton: Special Olympics – Athletics

Ian Olive: Special Olympics – Softball

Trennon Paynter, ChPC: Freestyle Ski

Athlete: Cassie Sharpe

Jim Pollock, ChPC: Alpine Ski

Athletes: Candace Crawford and Erin Mielzynski

John Stuart: Softball

Athletes: Canadian Men’s National Softball Team

MANITOBA

Aaron Dziver, ChPC: Diving

Athletes: Pamela Ware, Jennifer Abel, Francois Imbeau-Dulac

NOVA SCOTIA

Ross MacIntosh: Special Olympics – Powerlifting

Athletes: Jackie Barrett, Joanne Bunnin, André Goulet, Paul Perreault

ONTARIO

Jason Agnew: Special Olympics – Athletics

Debbie Boycott: Special Olympics – Rhythmic Gymnastics

Athletes: Emily Boycott, Christina Judd-Campbell, Celine Labrecque, Kimana Mar, Ashley Wilwand

Derrick Campbell, ChPC: Speed Skating

Athlete: Charles Hamelin

Elliot Catton: Snowboarding

Athlete: Darcy Sharpe

Victoria Croley, ChPC: Athletics

Athlete: Damian Warner

Dennis Fairall, ChPC: Athletics

Athlete: Melissa Bishop

Claudette Faubert: Special Olympics – Athletics

Margaret French: Special Olympics – Bowling

Athletes: Steven Beaucage, Jessica Castronovo, Annabelle Davis, Jake Huff, Douglas Hutt, Toufic Irani, Aaron Johnson, Austin Johnston, Olivier Martel, Jordan Miner, Ashleigh Pagnotta, Linda Renner, Danny Ristic, Jenna Smith, Karalyn Summer, Carlos Villafuerte

Glenroy Gilbert, ChPC: Athletics

Athletes: Aaron Brown, Andre De Grasse, Brendon Rodney, Justyn Warner

Nicola McGovern: Special Olympics – Golf

Athletes: Kyle Grummett, Kyle Koopman, Danny Peaslee, Lorinne Russell, Tess Trojan

Wendy Morgan, ChPC: Curling

Athletes: Jennifer Jones, Kaitlyn Lawes, Jill Officer, Dawn McEwen, Jennifer Clark-Rouire

Earle Morris: Curling

Athletes: Pat Simmons, John Morris, Carter Rycroft, Nolan Thiessen, Thomas Sallows

Rebecca Norton: Special Olympics – Bowling

Steve Omischl: Freestyle Ski

Athletes: Mikaël Kingsbury, Philippe Marquis, Marc-Antoine Gagnon

David Ross, ChPC: Gymnastics

Athletes: Rosannagh MacLennan and Samantha Sendel

Anne Schelter: Figure Skating

Athletes: Senior Level Team – Nexxice

Shelley Simonton-Barnett: Figure Skating

Athletes: Senior Level Team – Nexxice

David White: Para-Alpine

Athlete: Matt Hallat

QUEBEC

Louis Bouchard, ChPC: Cross-Country Skiing

Athlete: Alex Harvey

Serge Dugas: Alpine Ski

Athlete: Dustin Cook

Richard Gauthier, ChPC: Figure Skating

Athletes: Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford

Nicolas Gill, ChPC: Judo

Athlete: Antoine Valois-Fortier

Mark Granger, ChPC: Canoe/Kayak

Athlete: Émilie Fournel

Michel Hamelin, ChPC: Freestyle Ski

Athlete: Justine Dufour-Lapointe

Mario Inkel: Special Olympics – Bowling

Gregor Jelonek: Speed Skating

Athlete: Laurent Dubreuil

Frédéric Jobin, ChPC: Canoe/Kayak

Athlete: Mark De Jonge

Jean-Sébastien Labrie, ChPC: Para-Alpine

Athlete: Mac Marcoux

Alain Maille: Special Olympics – Swimming

Athletes: Magnus Batara, Connor Bissett, Carrie Dignan, Mark Epelon, Valérie Gagnon-Paradis, Eleanor Hobbs, Matthew Hunter, April Lam, Mary Jean Lawson, Julia Longo, Josh Low, Meagan Michie, Elliott Moskowy, Avery Newton, Andrew Perez, Michael Qing, Valmar Quitich, Amanda Schleppe, Lexie Senior, Bill Smith, David Tatta, Kelsey Wyse

Ryan Mallette: Swimming

Athlete: Ryan Cochrane

Bruno Marcotte: Figure Skating

Athletes: Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford

Sven Pouliot, ChPC: Para-Alpine

Athlete: Mac Marcoux

Tyrel Rose, ChPC: Tenpin

Athlete: Dan MacLelland

Vincent Sigouin: Freestyle Ski

Athlete: Justine Dufour-Lapointe

Eric van den Eynde, ChPC: Cycling

Athlete: Shelley Gautier

SASKATCHEWAN

Todd McLellan: Hockey

Athletes: Canadian Men’s National Hockey Team

Jackie Powell: Special Olympics – Swimming

CHINA

Yihua Li, ChPC: Diving

Athletes: Jennifer Abel, Francois Imbeau-Dulac

CUBA

Arturo Miranda, ChPC: Diving

Athletes: Roseline Filion, Meaghan Benfeito, Jennifer Abel, Francois Imbeau-Dulac

EUROPE

Bart Schouten, ChPC: Speed Skating

Athlete: Denny Morrison

Ben Titley, ChPC: Swimming

Athletes: Santo Condorelli, Yuri Kisil, Chantal van Landeghem, Sandrine Mainville

UNITED STATES

Jeff Huntoon, ChPC: Athletics

Athlete: Derek Drouin

More information on these deserving winners will be posted on www.coach.ca following the event here: Awards & Recognition

About Suncor

Suncor is Canada’s leading integrated energy company. Suncor’s operations include oil sands development and upgrading, conventional and offshore oil and gas production, petroleum refining, and product marketing under the Petro-Canada brand. A member of Dow Jones Sustainability indexes, FTSE4Good and CDP, Suncor is working to responsibly develop petroleum resources while also growing a renewable energy portfolio. Suncor is listed on the UN Global Compact 100 stock index and the Corporate Knights’ Global 100. Suncor’s common shares (symbol: SU) are listed on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges.

Petro-Canada Retail and Wholesale:
Petro-Canada, a Suncor business, operates more than 1,450 retail stations and 250 Petro-Pass wholesale locations nationwide. Petro-Canada’s retail loyalty program, Petro-PointsTM, provides Canadians with the opportunity to earn and redeem rewards. Petro-Canada is proud to be a National Partner of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees, supporting Canadian athletes, coaches and their families for more than 25 years. For more information, visit www.petro-canada.ca.

About Investors Group

Investors Group, founded in 1926, is a national leader in delivering personalized financial solutions to Canadians through a network of over 5,100 Consultants located throughout Canada. In addition to an exclusive family of mutual funds and other investment vehicles, Investors Group offers a wide range of insurance, securities, mortgage and other financial services. Investors Group is a member of the IGM Financial Inc. (TSX: IGM) group of companies. IGM Financial is one of Canada’s premier financial services companies with $136 billion in total assets under management as of June 30, 2015. For more information, visit www.investorsgroup.com.

About the Coaching Association of Canada

The Coaching Association of Canada unites stakeholders and partners in its commitment to raising the skills and stature of coaches, and ultimately expanding their reach and influence. Through its programs, the CAC empowers coaches with knowledge and skills, promotes ethics, fosters positive attitudes, builds competence, and increases the credibility and recognition of coaches.

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For more information, contact:

Michel Hachey
Manager, Communications
Coaching Association of Canada
613.235.5000 x 2382
613.858.0242 (Nov. 11-15)
mhachey@coach.ca