Nine individuals with “outstanding achievements in sports” – including 2012 Olympic bronze medal weightlifter Christine Girard – are to be recognized in a special presentation at White Rock City Gall Monday night.
In addition to Girard, the city will acknowledge:
• Lois Wood, a former diving and World Masters champion, who represented Canada at the 1954 Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, and was nominated for the Sport BC Athlete of the Year Award;
• Paul Williams, who attended the 1984, 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, where he represented Canada in the 5,000- and 10,000-metre events. Williams placed 21st in the men’s 10,000 m at the 1984 Summer Olympics and is a four-time national champion in the men’s 5,000 m. In 1990, he received a bronze medal in the men’s 10,000 m at the Commonwealth Games, and gold Games’ 5,000 m;
• Bev Boys, a former Olympic diver who attended the 1968, 1972 and 1976 Olympic Games, won 34 national titles, three-time gold, three-time silver, and two-time bronze medalist at the Commonwealth Games, and was Female Athlete of year in 1969 and 1970;
• Ken Sully, who represented Canada in diving (springboard and platform events) at the 1968 (Mexico) and 1972 (Munich) Olympic Games;
• Brad Vollans, who was an Olympic qualifier and top junior wrestler in Canada in 1973. Vollans continued his career in wrestling by coaching in White Rock throughout the 1980s and into the 1990s. In 2010, he attended the Olympic Games as a client services manager;
• Maeve Glass, who attended the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games as team leader for the Canadian women’s soccer team. She is currently the event and equipment manager for the women’s national team;
• Jeff Bandura, the first player from the White Rock Minor Hockey Association to be drafted; was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1977 National Hockey League entry draft and moved to the New York Rangers in the 1980-’81 season; and,
• Stacey Kohler, who won bronze in the 3,000 metre and sixth place in the 1,500 m events at the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Athens. Kohler was the first athlete from the Delta branch of Special Olympics B.C. to compete at a world games.
Monday’s meeting gets underway at 7 p.m. City hall is located at 15322 Buena Vista Ave.
