Sport BC recognized the province’s best in amateur sports with the 56th annual Athlete of the Year Awards.
Scott Russell, a CBC sports commentator hosted the March 7 event honouring athletes, coaches, teams, and officials for their performances in the 2023 sports season.
The Master Athlete of the Year went to triathlete Malindi Elmore from Kelowna. She’s a three-time Olympian who at the 2020 games in Tokyo placed ninth for the women’s Olympic marathon.
Nash Semeniuk also from the Okanagan city won High School Male Athlete of the Year while competing in basketball and volleyball at Kelowna Secondary.
Elsewhere in the province, Dylan Armstrong won Male Coach of the Year from Kamloops, Rowan Hamilton from Chilliwack won Post Secondary Athlete of the Year, Keira Pemberton from Langley won High School Female Athlete of the Year, Trevor Walmsley from Vancouver won Official of the Year, Camryn Rogers from Richmond won Senior Female Athlete of the Year and Trinity Western University won Team of the Year.
On Vancouver Island, Mel Pemble from Victoria was awarded top Athlete with a Disability, Jane Gumley also from the capital won Female Coach of the Year, Ethan Katzberg from Nanaimo won Senior Male Athlete of the Year, Nicholas Bennett from Parksville won Junior Male Athlete of the Year and Emmy Lan from Comox won Junior Female Athlete of the Year.
“The 56th annual Athlete of the Year Awards celebrated sport in our B.C. at all levels. We were inspired by the sports stories of all of our finalists, the category winners and the organizations they represent,” shared Sport BC’s president Rob Newman in a statement. “We are proud to bring the amateur sport community together and thank you guests, sponsors and friends in sport.”
In addition to the main awards, six additional awards were presented.
The KidSport Community Champion award was given to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Nick Taylor from Abbotsford won the Best of BC, Garrett Rooker won the Harry Jerome Comeback Award competing for UBC’s football team, Joe Higgins from Delta won the Daryl Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award for wheelchair basketball, Stacy Fournier from Langley won the Bobbie Steen Legacy Foundation Award for baseball and softball.
BC Sports also celebrated women in sports by awarding Marni Abbott from Vancouver and Melissa Soligo from Victoria as In Her Footsteps honourees.
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