Evan Guthrie Confirms Heroes Need Heroes

Recognized seven years ago as a award winner at the same event, Evan Guthrie, emphasized on Wednesday that “it takes a community to raise an athlete.”

Guthrie, a two-time national junior mountain bike champion and now aiming to make Canada’s team at the Olympics in Rio this summer, was the keynote speaker addressing a large gathering at the 2016 version of the Community Sports Hero Awards reception at the Rotary Centre Of The Arts.

“As an athlete you realize pretty quickly that without support from those around you, the journey might not be possible. And it definitely won’t be meaningful,” said the 24-year-old Peachland resident at the annual event hosted by the City of Kelowna and PacificSport Okanagan. “Pursuing dreams with the support of others makes it all the more special.”

For Guthrie, family — parents, his brother and grandparents — was the foundation for his passion for mountain biking. And being a part of a team and finding a sense of belonging was another major step in his progress as a national- and international-level athlete.

Guthrie referred to his Grade 8 rugby team — coached by Evan Orloff and Greg Hyslop — at Glenrosa Middle School as another stepping stone on his journey. The GMS Jaguars went 14-0 that season.

“We knew, without saying a word, that we had perfection because, as U.S. high school and college coach, Gary Gaines, once said, ‘perfection is being able to look your friends in the eye and know you did everything you could not to let them down.’

“That team was my community.”

Also a member of the Total Restoration Cycling Team from 2007 to 2009, Guthrie said that group took him under their wings and fostered his development from a provincial-level rider to a world championship medalist (team silver in Australia in 2009).

“I was the youngest rider by almost 10 years, and to this day my teammates are all still my friends and some are my training partners.”

Guthrie said there were just too many people in his community to mention them all. But he did allude to Catharine Pendrel of Kamloops, a world champion mountain biker and teammate, whose husband Keith is his coach.

“Catharine is my friend and I look up to her a lot and learn so much. We train in silence and it inspires me,” he said, urging the athletes in attendance to find those types of people and create relationships with them.

In closing, Guthrie said that having competed in many local, provincial, national and international events over the years, he has a special appreciation for volunteers.

“I have supporters in this room who have taken a genuine interest in what I’m doing, and now I have this whole room as part of my community because we’re here to celebrate the hard work of athletes and volunteers — together.”

The Mt. Boucherie Secondary School graduate shared his conversation with a friend just prior to Wednesday’s reception.

“He said that as an athlete, you’re the most significant part of the event in which your competing. When you’re on the podium, everything is about you and you are being celebrated.

“But without the volunteers, you would not be there and you would have nothing. So I thank the volunteers in my community and your community. We athletes cannot pursue our passion and dreams without your support.”

Meanwhile, the reception recognized and honoured local athletes, volunteers and service providers for their outstanding contributions to sport throughout the Okanagan.

Included were eight Athletic Excellence Award recipients — Danielle Gruber (gymnastics), Kailin Jones (volleyball), Olivia Gran (figure skating), Hannah Bennison (athletics), Ryan Moffat (alpine skiing), Riley McLean (swimming), Nao Raincock-Ekunwe (basketball), Heather Wurtele (triathlon) and Tekarra Banser (biathlon).

Ten Sport Hero Awards were also presented — Johnny Vesterinen (tennis), Mike Walsh (athletics), Travis Wray (lacrosse), Scott Jacobsen (soccer), Ben Macauley (football), Todd Russell (baseball), Ken Boe (rugby), George Curran (rugby), Dan Bernheisel (basketball) and Paul Thiessen (volleyball).

The following is an edited version of the script prepared for the 2016 reception by PacificSport Okanagan and City of Kelowna staff:

ATHLETES

Danielle Gruber

Trampoline and tumbling gymnast, Danielle Gruber, has tumbled, bounced, and vaulted her way to the top of the Canadian gymnastics world.

A member of Canada’s double-mini trampoline team at the world championships in Denmark in November, Dani won a gold medal in the team event, while finishing seventh individually. Those accomplishments came on the heels of winning Canadian and B.C. titles in double mini in 2015.

A longtime member of the Okanagan Gymnastics Centre, Dani has been a role model, guiding and supporting her teammates. With plans to focus on school in 2016, look for Dani in 2017 when she plans to again represent Canada on the international stage.

Kailin Jones

“Offence wins games, but defence wins championships.”

A quote to live by for the UBCO Heat volleyball program and the mantra for Kailin Jones.

The veteran libero for the No 1-ranked CIS team in the country, Jones is closing out a five-year career at UBCO after graduating from Kelowna Secondary School and playing for her beloved Owls.

Among the top defensive players in Canada West, Kailin gives back to the volleyball community as a coach, co-ordinator, official and volunteer.

Her focus now however is a playoff berth at the CIS national tournament.

Olivia Gran

Elegance, precision, and perseverance are all accurate descriptions of local championship figure skater, Olivia Gran.

In 2015, Olivia medalled at nearly every competition she entered. She won both the BC and Yukon Sectionals and Skate Canada Challenge events, setting a Novice women’s Canadian record of 130.23 points.

Most recently, Olivia returned home from Halifax with a junior national silver medal.

With guidance from Kelowna Skating Club coaches Karen and Jason Mongrain, look for this talented skater to continue to jump and twirl to the top.

Hannah Bennison

Born and raised in Vernon, Hannah Bennison loves to run and she loves to run fast.

A member of the Kelowna-based Okanagan Athletics Club, Hannah has emerged as one of the best middle distance runners in B.C. and beyond.

In 2015, Hannah won nearly every race she entered. She started the year on the right track winning the B.C high school 3000-metre championship, breaking a record by Brenda Shackleton of Kelowna that stood for more than 30 years.

She then went on to represent Canada at the world youth track and field championships in Colombia, finishing eighth in the world.

Just when you think 2015 could not go any better, she went undefeated in the cross country season, capping it with a gold medal at the Canadian junior cross country championship in Kingston, Ont.

Ryan Moffat

Kelowna’s Ryan Moffat likes to go downhill fast – sometimes too fast.

His aggressive style has paid off with some impressive results in 2015 including qualifying to represent Canada at the 2016 Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

Being selected did involve crashing on two of the four qualifying races but the Okanagan Ski Team member laid it down when it counted on the final day to make Team Canada.

Ryan finished the 2015 season ranked No. 1 in Canada in giant slalom, fourth in Super G and eighth in slalom among the U18 FIS skier rankings.

On the heels of his recent success, the Rutland Secondary School grad will showcase his aggressive style at the Youth Olympics.

Riley McLean

Vernon’s Riley McLean, is a para-swimmer with his sights set on the 2016 Paralympics Games in Rio.

Riley had an outstanding 2015 season, setting a Canadian record and competing for Canada at the Para-Pan Am Games where he finished fourth in the 100-metre free, and earned a pair of fifth-place finishes— in the 50 free and 50 backstroke events.

Riley learned to swim with at young age and continued with a local Aqua-dapt program. He then joined forces with swim coach, Renate Terpstra, who immediately saw potential in Riley and in the past two years, has seen him continue to get faster and faster.

Nao Raincock-Ekunwe

Nao Raincock-Ekunwe is definitely someone to look up to.

This 6-foot-2 forward is one of the best female basketball players to ever play in the Okanagan.

It all started at Kalalmalka Secondary School where she was introduced to the game and quickly developed a passion for basketball.

Nao then took her skills to play NCAA ball at Simon Fraser where she had an impressive career and continued to develop under the guidance of Bruce Langford.

Now as a member of the Canadian Women’s National Team, Nao helped to make 2015 remarkable winning a Pan-Am gold medal on home soil.

If winning wasn’t enough, this victory also earned the team an automatic berth at the 2016 Olympics Games set for Rio.

Currently Nao is playing professional basketball in Germany as she prepares herself for the Olympic journey ahead.

Heather Wurtele

Before travelling and living in a 23-foot RV, Heather and her husband, Trevor grew up together in Vernon where they met in high school and quickly became good friends.

Fast forward a few years later, the two married and also developed a mutual love of triathlon. They have been professional long-course distance triathletes for the past decade, and have been perennial contenders on the national and international stage.

Heather was the woman to watch in 2015, placing second at both the North American 70.3 championships and the Ironman 70.3 world championships.

Triathlon Canada named Heather the 2015 multisport female athlete of the year based on her solid results as the No. 1 Canadian ranking.

Whether Heather and Trevor are traversing the West in their RV or cutting wacky race report videos, look for this Canadian triathlon super-couple’s continued success.

Tekarra Banser

Before joining the Air Cadets biathlon team at the age of 12, Tekarra Banser had never cross country skied or fired a rifle.

Turns out the West Kelowna athlete was rather skilled at both. Five years later, Tekarra has developed into one of Canada’s best up-and-coming biathletes.

In 2015, Tekarra represented Team BC at the Canada Winter Games in Prince George where she won a gold medal in the Team Relay. She also placed fifth and sixth at the Canadian national championships.

Carrying that success forward, Tekarra placed second at the Calforex Cup in Canmore which earned her a spot on Team Canada for the 2016 Youth Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway.

VOLUNTEERS

Johnny Vesterinen

Healthy body, healthy mind.

Those are the words to live by for Johnny Vesterinen.

Known as the “Court Jester and Johnny V”, Vesterinen brings his good-natured, light-hearted approach to the game of tennis — whether it’s playing, coaching or organizing.

The School District 23 music and physical education teacher has instructed for the City of Kelowna, Global fitness and the Mission Tennis Club for more than 30 years, sharing his infectious energy and enthusiasm with young tennis players, some of whom have gone on to receive post-secondary scholarships and continued to play afterwards.

As an organizer, Johnny has been involved in the management of the Mission Tennis Club for more than 15 years; is a key member of the organizing committee for the Kelowna Futures Pro Tennis Tournament; and was the founder and commissioner of the Central Okanagan School District tennis program.

Scott Jacobsen

Involved in many sports for many years, dating back to his early days living in northern B.C., Scott has remained involved in sport in both an administrative and coaching capacity.

He served as a director of the Liquid Lightning Swim Club for two seasons and was the Thompson-Okanagan representative for triathlon at the B.C. Summer Games from 2006 to 2012.

Scott has also served as board chair with the Central Okanagan Youth Soccer Association since 2013 and is the general manager of the newly formed UBC Okanagan Junior Heat Soccer Club.

As a coach, he served as the Zone 2 triathlon coach for the B.C. Summer Games for six years and has been the Thompson-Okanagan Football Club and Kelowna United Football Club head coach (U13 and U14) since 2012.

Through the years, Jacobsen has committed much time, energy and money into developing skills and knowledge as a coach and progressing through the necessary certifications.

His passion and vigor for sport, especially soccer, have led him to his role of chairman of COYSA, one of the largest youth sports organizations in B.C.

Mike Walsh

Not only has Mike Walsh embraced the mission statement of the Okanagan Athletic Club — “Personal Excellence Through Athletics” — but has taken is passion for the sport to the next level.

While serving as club president of the OAC for the past two years, Mike has contributed countless hours to various OAC initiatives and has guided the club through a time of growth and change.

He has served as meet director of the annual Jack Brow Memorial Meet that attracts more than 600 athletes from Canada, the United States and Australia.

In an effort to promote track and field and build community awareness, Mike was instrumental in developing the Twilight Meet Series, a friendly, low-key event open to club athletes, school athletes and the general public.

Largely through his efforts, a closer unity between the OAC and the Central Okanagan School District’s track and field program has been realized, ultimately providing significant benefit to young athletes in our community.

Travis Wray

Beginning with father, Dan, and continuing with Travis, the Wray name has been synonymous with lacrosse in Kelowna for more than 20 years.

Travis has been involved in lacrosse in numerous capacities over the years — as an athlete, coach, referee and mentor. As an athlete, he honed his skills in the Kelowna Minor Lacrosse Association.

Wray was a member of the KMLA’s bantam team that won a provincial championship in 1997 and he represented the Thompson-Okanagan zone at the B.C. Summer Games in 1998 before moving on as one of the original members of the Rutland Junior Raiders from 2000 to 2004. He and his teammates won two Thompson-Okanagan Junior Lacrosse League championship, a provincial gold and two silver medals.

He began coaching at age 15 and earned a Level 2 certificate while still playing minor lacrosse. Wray also served as a referee and was named the referee of the year twice.

Following his playing days, Wray went on to become the assistant coach and head coach of the junior Raiders, winning more league championships and provincial medals along the way.

Still coaching,Wray spends many hours assisting with lacrosse camps and instructing with the regional performance program.

Todd Russell

Since its inception in 1972, the Rutland Minor Baseball Association has been a staple in the community — promoting baseball, developing young athletes, and instilling a sense of pride for future generations to follow.

Over the past 16 years, Todd Russell has embraced this ideal, selflessly and passionately devoting himself to the sport of baseball and to the community as a whole.

During that time, Todd has worn many ‘caps’ with Rutland minor baseball, serving as coach, board director, president (for six years), umpire in chief, advisory committee member, city liaison and mentor.

He was integral in the development of the Kelowna Cubs (now called the Okanagan Athletics) program, providing an avenue for local athletes to compete at an elite midget level at home in Kelowna. That program has grown from one senior midget team to now include a junior midget team and bantam team.

In 2006, Todd was instrumental in getting the Valley of Champions baseball tournament started. He continues to support the event as president and scheduler.

The Valley of Champions has become the largest tournament of its kind in Western Canada and has become a Kelowna tradition.

Most recently Todd was a key player in the amalgamation of the Kelowna and Rutland Minor Baseball Associations, a major step forward in the ongoing development of the sport in Kelowna.

Ben Macauley

Kelowna residents know football has a big presence in the community and that presence is displayed in full force through Kelowna Secondary School Owls coach Ben Macauley.

Big Ben’s passion and dedication to football has been recognized wildly by players, students, and staff alike.

His road to KSS, where he now calls home, began as a player at Glendale College in California and later as an assistant coach at Robert Usher Collegiate in Saskatchewan. In 2008, he joined the Owls as an assistant coach, where students and faculty first became familiar with his outstanding leadership qualities.

He assisted the Owls for the next four years improving the lives of not only his players, but also “at risk” youth, whom he has worked for several years alongside educators and parents.

In 2012 and 2013, Ben served as assistant coach for the Okanagan Sun before coming full circle in 2015, back to KSS as head coach.

In that role, he not only fulfilled the typical coaching duties, but also took on the many extra responsibilities including maintaining equipment, making travel plans, booking officials, keeping open lines of communication with parents and players, and anything else that needed to be done.

As with any good leader, Ben led by example, demonstrating there is no “I” in Team and surrounding himself with a great coaching staff.

His optimistic approach focused on fundamentals, character building, and on the pursuit of excellence.

Just recently, Macauley was hired as the new head coach of the Okanagan Sun.

Ken Boe and George Curran

Ken Boe and George Curran can be considered the driving force of touch rugby in Kelowna.

Recognizing that touch rugby was a lifetime sport played by millions in the southern hemisphere, but by only a few here in Kelowna, they set out to introduce the community to the sport. That was 2010.

In 2015, more than 500 participants played the game locally, and this number is expected to exceed 650 in 2016.

Both Ken and George and have volunteered in the rugby community for decades and their work in the sport is extensive.

George started Crows Mini-Rugby in 2011 for 4-8 year- olds. The same year, Ken introduced the Touch Sevens game for 9-11 year olds in elementary schools. As well as introducing youth to the game, Ken also developed a 24-lesson curriculum for the school system to provide educators with a structure to teach and enjoy the game in physical education classes.

A year ago, 214 boys and girls in 12 elementary schools played Touch Sevens, while an additional 170 boys and girls 4-12 year old, played in a local Touch Sevens community league.

In 2015, more than 120 men and women participated in the Summer Touch Rugby League.

Outside of the many hours spent volunteering with rugby, Ken is a primary school teacher and coach at Bankhead Elementary School, and an avid triathlete having participated in Ironman Canada four times.

George is the program director for ARC Programs in Kelowna which specializes in the delivery of services to high risk youth and their families. He’s also a multi-sport coach in the community and has been the key organizer of Ensign Cup rugby event for more than 30 years.

Dan Bernheisel

A lifetime volunteer, Dan Bernheisel arrived in Kelowna five years ago and got involved as a volunteer basketball coach at Dr. Knox Middle School, where his daughter attended.

Since that time, he has coached more than 300 practices and 200 games with Knox and has amassed an impressive coaching record of 177 wins and 33 loses, which includes one eighth place, two fifth place and a first-place finish at the provincial championships.

In addition, Dan volunteers upwards of 50 hours in the fall as coach for the Centre of Performance, a Basketball B.C. training program that brings together players from all over the Okanagan Valley.

And, in the spring, he finds time to coach the Basketball B.C. regional teams at the U14 and U15 level.

A student of the game, Dan is always looking to grow his technical knowledge and improve his coaching ability, especially from his own local sport hero, David Lafontaine.

Dan’s volunteer commitment has made a huge impact on the local basketball community.

Paul Thiessen

Synonymous with volleyball in Kelowna and throughout the country, Paul Thiessen has coached at all levels — from high school, to club, to provincial and collegiate.

A long-time coach of the senior boys’ volleyball team and athletic director at Okanagan Mission Secondary, Paul also recruits and trains new coaches for several sports. He’s also helped develop numerous athletes who have gone on to play at the CIS level and on to the national stage.

His players love and respect him and it shows as he works them hard and pushes them to be the “best they can be” on and off the court.

This past season, Paul, a former national team member, helped guide the Kelowna Volleyball Club’s U18 boys team to “back-to-back” provincial championships, and six of the players were recruited to play on post-secondary teams.

On the horizon for Paul is a trip to New Taipei this summer as part of Kelowna’s ICG Youth Games. He’ll be coaching the U15 girls team.

Sport Hosting Award

For the fifth year running, Tourism Kelowna recognized host organizations that raise the standard for events and raise Kelowna’s profile as a sport destination.

This year’s deserving recipient of the Tourism Kelowna Sport Hosting Award is the British Columbia Community Football Association.

Each year since 2008, the B.C. Community Football Association has invited minor teams from all over the province to compete in Spring Flag Provincial Championships at Mission sports fields.

It is billed as B.C.’s biggest minor sports event, having grown to 141 teams in 2015 after starting out with 24 teams. With nearly 1,600 players and as many as 6,000 attendees in Kelowna in early June, few Kelowna events can match the economic impact of flag football provincials.

Dr. Doug Pauls is one of many people around the province who has pumped up the popularity of flag football. But when it comes to promoting provincials in Kelowna, one man deserves much of the credit – BC Community Football Association president, Joe Gluska.

Joe’s big smile and passion for the game keeps kids playing. He motivates officials, volunteers, and community partners such as Kelowna Minor Football Association and the Okanagan Sun.

Kelowna minor football added more than 100 flag football players in 2015, bringing its total to nearly 300.

BC Winter Games

Also among those recognized for their athletic achievements at the reception were athletes and volunteers representing the Thompson-Okanagan (Zone 2) at the B.C. Winter Games in Penticton Feb. 25-28.

The B.C. Winter Games are one of the largest multi-sport Games in B.C. and in Canada, bringing together more than 2,000 athletes, coaches and officials from every region of the province.

Taking place every two years, the Games are an entry point into the performance sport stream and a key event in the development of B.C.’s young athletes as they move through their chosen sport pathway.