By Richard Seymour

Richmond, B.C. (Feb. 24, 2011) – The 45th Annual Sport BC Athlete of the Year Awards took place at the River Rock Casino in Richmond on Thursday night.

The who’s who of B.C. Sports were in attendance including Bob Lenarduzzi of the Vancouver Whitecaps and Olympic gold medallists Ashleigh McIvor and Maelle Ricker. The event recognizes B.C. amateur athletic achievements from junior level to top international performers in 2010.

The selection committee consists of 25 members including Tom Larscheid, Steve Armitage and “Miss 604” Rebecca Bollwitt.

The night kicked off with the Presidents’ Awards Recipients – which honours and celebrates the spirit of volunteerism from each Sport BC member organization.

The Athlete of the Year Awards has a rich 45-year history of honouring world class athletes such as Rick Hansen, Terry Fox, Nancy Greene-Raine, Trevor Linden and Steve Nash – among many, many more. 2010 was no exception with the following people honoured:

Athlete with a Disability – Lauren Woolstencroft, Para-Alpine Skiing
Coach of the Year – Doug Reimer, Volleyball
High School Female Athlete of the Year – Rowena Cacapit, Wrestling
High School Male Athlete of the Year – David McKay, Athletics – Pole Vault
College Athlete of the Year – Alex Basso, Volleyball
Masters Athlete of the Year – Carol Peters, Triathalon
Junior Female Athlete of the Year – Christine Wong, Golf
Junior Male Athlete of the Year – Adam Svensson, Golf
Daryl Thompson Award – Ray Carter, Baseball
University Athlete of the Year – Arjan Bhullar, Wrestling
Harry Jerome Comeback Award – Tessa Beauchamp, Basketball
Official of the Year Award – Steve Seibel, Basketball
Team of the Year – UBC Women’s Volleyball
Community Champion – Denny Morrison, Speed Skating
Senior Female Athlete of the Year – Maelle Ricker, Snowboard cross
Senior Male Athlete of the Year – Duncan Keith, Ice Hockey

Congratulations to the winners and nominees!

Victoria, BC (February 8, 2011) – The 32nd Annual GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon will host the 2011 Provincial Marathon Championships for the third year in a row. The championships are open to junior, senior and master runners, for both men and women. The 2011 Marathon will be held on Sunday, October 9, 2011.

“The GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon demonstrated again in 2010 why it is rated one of the best marathons in North America. The community embraces the event, creating a welcoming environment,” said Maurice Wilson, Technical Manager of BC Athletics’ Road and Cross Country Running Division. “The commitment of the organizing committee and volunteers ensures a quality experience for all participants, competitive and recreational. BC Athletics is delighted to associate the 2011 BC Marathon Championship with such a reputable event.”

The GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon has consistently attracted an elite field of runners including former winners Cheryl Murphy and Olympian Jon Brown, reigning and three-time Marathon winner Steve Osaduik, five-time winner Kelvin Broad, six-time winner Cindy Rhodes and Olympians Bruce Deacon and Peter Butler.

“This is the third consecutive year that the GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon will be hosting the BC Marathon Championships,” said Cathy Noel, General Manager. “Last year saw our strongest elite field ever with Kenyan Philip Samoei winning in 2:23:24. The women’s field was phenomenal with Lucy Smith, Cheryl Murphy and Suzanne Evans all favourites to win, but the title went to Nanaimo’s Catrin Jones who won in 2:52:21.”

The 32nd Annual GoodLife Fitness Victoria Marathon takes place Sunday, October 9, 2011. The Marathon was named the Best Marathon (Western Canada) in Get Out There Magazine’s 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards. In 2010, the Marathon was ranked number two in Canada of top Boston Marathon qualifying races and number three in Canada for most Boston Marathon qualifiers by MarathonGuide.com. In addition to the Marathon there is a Half Marathon, 8K Road Race and the Thrifty Foods Kids Run & Marathon. For more details, visit http://runvictoriamarathon.com/pdf/2011_Marathon_Championship.pdf and www.runvictoriamarathon.com <http://www.runvictoriamarathon.com/>

The first edition of the Gran Fondo Rockies is open for registration. Join 2,000 of your closest friends on July 24, 2011 in Black Diamond, south of Calgary for a fully supported ride. Riders have a choice of 4 distances – 170, 145, 100 and 60 kilometres as well as an elite race open to licensed riders vying for the largest cash purse for a road race in Canada.  

With the majestic Rocky Mountains in the backdrop, you, your family, friends and fellow cyclists can experience an authentic gran fondo complete with a post ride Italian style lunch at the finish line.

Each participant will receive the following:

• A fully supported ride on some of the most scenic roads in the Alberta foothills
• Timing chips for all participants
• Full mechanical support throughout the duration of the ride
• Several aid and medical stations
• Gran Fondo Rockies jersey (60km participants and racers can purchase a jersey separately)
• Post ride Italian style lunch
  

Go to www.granfondorockies.ca to register.

CESANA, Italy (Jan. 29, 2011) — Alex Gough added a new chapter to the Canadian sport history books as the first Canadian ever to win a medal at the Luge World Championships when she slid to the bronze on Saturday in Cesana, Italy.

Posting some of the fastest training times all week on the track where she made her Olympic debut in 2006 at just 18 years of age, Gough recovered after making a sloppy mistake at the top of her opening run, to nail her second trip down the 17-corner track and post a combined time of one minute, 34.413 seconds (1:34.413).

“It feels so good and I’m absolutely pumped to finish third,” said Gough. “I have been sliding well all week and I had the confidence that I knew I can be there on the podium. I love this track. It is fast and fun and this is just a very proud moment for me and the program.”

Germany’s Tatjana Hufner won the gold with a time of 1:33.969, while Natalie Geisenberger, also of Germany claimed the silver with a time of 1:34.243.

Canadian rookie, Arianne Jones of Calgary, had a stellar day with two consistent runs down the track. One of the smallest athletes on the circuit, the 20-year-old Jones finished 13th with a time of 1:35.548.

Gough’s breakthrough as a contender with the world’s best came in 2009 where she regularly placed in the top-10, and finished fourth at the World Championships that year in Lake Placid, N.Y.

“I think this is some sweet redemption. I was so close at the last World Championships, but especially after last year with the disappointment around everything at the Olympics. It is nice to follow up such a great year with a podium here,” said Gough. “This track is a lot like Whistler. It is very fast and has some tricky points. I have a lot of fun sliding on it.”

The 23-year-old Calgarian has completely rewritten the luge history books this season. She became only the fourth Canadian ever to win a World Cup medal in luge when she claimed her first bronze in Winterberg, Germany. Gough became the first Canadian to win multiple luge World Cup medals after adding another bronze in Park City, Utah two weeks later. She added to that record with her third bronze-medal win in Konigssee, Germany. And Saturday, became the first Canadian ever to stand on a World Championship podium in luge.

“I am so excited for our sport and what this means to all of us,” said Gough. “It is pretty cool to become the first Canadian to win a medal at Worlds, but I’m more happy for everyone involved. A lot of people have worked very hard to help get me to this point.”

While not winning a medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the Canadian Luge Team leveraged the increased attention in Canadian sport to help boost athlete’s pursuit of the podium.

Much of the Canadian team’s success can be attributed to the generous financial support by Own the Podium, who have been the financial lifeline of the national program. The Canadian Luge Association also welcomed its first-ever corporate partner, Fast Track Capital, two years ago, which has helped position them on the podium. Two years ago the team put For Sale stickers on their helmets while sliding at World Cups in Canada, which attracted the additional support from the Alberta-based corporation. Increased funding has equaled medal-winning results.

“This result was shaping up over the last two years. It is a long process and everything needed to match for it to come together,” said Wolfgang Staudinger, who was recruited from Germany in 2007 thanks to funding from Own the Podium. “It isn’t just coaching, or just technology. It is everything. With all of the proper resources in place, suddenly the system works. That was history today!”

Calgary’s Sam Edney was the top Canadian male in 16th spot at 1:44.743. Calgary’s Jeff Christie was 18th with a time of 1:44.802, while Brendan Hauptmann, of Kimberley, B.C. placed 22nd at 1:44.981.

Italy’s Armin Zoggeler won the men’s race with a time of 1:43.538.

COMPLETE RESULTS: www.fil-luge.org
Women’s Top-Five and Canadian Results:
1. Tatjana Hüfner, GER, 1:33.969; 2. Natalie Geisenberger, GER, 1:34.243; 3. Alex Gough, Calgary, CAN, 1:34.413; 4. Nina Reithmayer, AUT, 1:34.470; 5. Anke Wischnewski, GER,1:34.591

Other Canadian Results:
13. Arianne Jones, Calgary, 1:35.548


Men’s Top-Five and Canadian Results:
1. Armin Zoggeler, ITA, 1:43.538; 2. Felix Loch, GER, 1:43.559; 3. Andi Langenhan, GER, 1:44.013; 4. David Moller, GER, 1:44.121; 5. Reinhold Rainer, ITA, 1:44.171.

Canadian Results:
16. Sam Edney, Calgary, 1:44.743; 18. Jeff Christie, Calgary, 1:44.802; 22. Brendan Hauptmann, Kimberly, B.C., 1:44.981.

TORONTO, JAN. 28 – After running 250 marathons in 2010, and recently surpassing his $250,000 fundraising goal, Alberta’s very own “Marathon Man” Martin Parnell will meet two individuals directly impacted by his efforts.

As a part of Right To Play’s first-ever Canadian Awareness Program, Parnell will work hand-in-hand with Irene Kpodo and Asana Ayagiba, Right To Play Coaches from projects in Ghana. The Coaches, along with Parnell and three-time Olympic gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser, will speak at a one-time, free public engagement event Tuesday Feb. 1 in Calgary, to raise awareness about Right To Play and its groundbreaking work using sport and play as tools for development and peace.

“I‘m very excited to meet the Coaches from Ghana,” says Parnell. “I want to know how the Right To Play programs help the children and what the kids think of them.”

It costs approximately $50 to support one child’s participation in weekly Right To Play programming for an entire year. Kpodo and Ayagiba have seen first-hand the impact that these programs have had on children and youth in their communities. They know what a huge difference that contributions like Parnell’s – $280,000 and counting – can make.

Ayagiba, 42, is a mother of two and a teacher in Ghana. She joined Right To Play as a volunteer Coach in 2008, and has been implementing regular weekly sport and play activities in her classroom since.

Right To Play activities have led to increased class attendance and students who are much more attentive in their learning, says Ayagiba.

In a country where only 63 per cent of children enrolled in school finish grade five, the results seen amongst Ghana’s 39,500 children and youth who are engaged in Right To Play activities are promising.

The challenges faced by children in Africa were Parnell’s inspiration for taking on Marathon Quest 250 – a mission to run 250 marathons in 2010 and raise money for Right To Play. A cycling trip from Cairo to Cape Town in 2005 exposed him to the need for sport and play across the continent.

While the speaking engagements in Alberta will be a great chance for Parnell to meet the Coaches and get a first-hand taste of Right To Play’s work, it is his upcoming summer trip to Right To Play projects in Benin that will truly validate his efforts.

Parnell says his trip will be the highlight of 2011.

“Visiting schools where funding raising from Marathon Quest 250 is being used will be amazing,” says Parnell. “I look forward to participating in several Right To Play programs with the kids and to going for a run with them.”

He will also have the chance to turn to an Olympic legend for travel tips. Wickenheiser, who currently plays women’s hockey for the University of Calgary Dinos, experienced Right To Play’s impact herself in 2007 on a trip to Rwanda as an Athlete Ambassador for the organization. Wickenheiser will join Right To Play again this summer at projects in Ghana.

Parnell, Wickenheiser, Ayagiba and Kpodo will be speaking at a free public awareness event Tuesday, Feb. 1, at MacEwan Hall in Calgary.

To register for this free event, visit: www.righttoplay.ca

ASPEN, Colo. (January 27, 2011) - Ski cross Olympic gold medalist Ashleigh McIvor suffered a serious knee injury on Wednesday during training for this week's Winter X Games in Aspen, Colorado.

The 27-year-old, of Whistler, B.C., has a suspected torn ACL and isn't expected to return to competitive action this season. She will require surgery on her left knee at a later date.

"I've definitely seen better days, but things could be much worse," said McIvor. "I just have to keep it all in perspective. I don't have a head injury, and I don't have a spinal injury. This will heal and I'll be back. It's all part of the game."

McIvor is the first female Olympic gold medalist in ski cross, which made its debut as a medal sport at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver-Whistler. She won the 2009 world championship at Inawashiro, Japan, and has 11 career World Cup podiums, including second- and third-place finishes this season.

She was second at last year's X Games, and was hoping to claim her first X Games title this week.

"I was really excited to run the course here in Aspen," said McIvor. "It's always the biggest and burliest on the circuit. I'm so glad I got one flight in off the massive last jump before hurting myself on a smaller jump that I hadn't even thought to be scared of. I just came into this triple a little too hot and overshot it, landing way out on the flats."

Canada Ski Cross head coach Eric Archer said he's confident McIvor will make a successful comeback from injury.

"It's disappointing when one of your best athletes goes out but it's part of the sport. All the athletes understand that," said Archer. "Ashleigh will take some time off and come back stronger than ever."