ViaSport recognizes Team BC athletes and coaches for outstanding leadership
Recipients of ACE Awards selected for notable contributions in sport and community
Vancouver, BC – Created as a means to recognize the contributions of BC athletes and coaches through demonstrated leadership in their community, the ACE (Achieving Community Excellence) Awards have been presented to eight outstanding members of Team BC—all having participated in the recent 2013 Canada Summer Games in Sherbrooke, QC.
The ACE Awards, founded by BC Athlete Voice and administered by ViaSport, are presented to a select group of Team BC athletes and coaches every year. The award acknowledges the importance of using leadership skills honed through sport to give back to the community, both on and off the playing surface. From an exceptional group of nominees, winners are selected based on their leadership in promoting sport and physical activity for the greater benefit of their sport and community.
2013 ACE Leadership Award recipient bios:
Athletes:
Danielle Caron (canoe racing) – Nanaimo, BC
Danielle has been involved in canoe racing athlete for four years and has earned many championship titles along the way. She has volunteered at the National Para Camp and recently paddled 78 kilometres during a Paddle-A-Thon to help raise money for a new facility in her town. Her coaches and peers say she is an incredible mentor for others in her sport, always smiling and determined to keep her team positive throughout any challenges that may come their way.
Rosie Johanson (tennis) – Abbotsford, BC
Rosie has been competing in tennis for seven years and has earned many titles in provincial, national and international championships. Rosie also volunteers her time as an assistant coach during training camps, and helps coaches, parents and other athletes before and after practice. She never turns down an opportunity to support community initiatives. She is described as humble, gracious and a great leader for girls and all juniors in her sport.
Jasmine Mander (soccer – womens) – Delta, BC
Jasmine has been playing soccer for 14 years, most recently for the Whitecaps FC Girls Elite team. Jasmine volunteers as a coach for grassroots clubs in her community and also for Indo-Canadian programs. Jasmine is also the youngest member of the BC Soccer’s Diversity Working Group, where she has become a motivating female ambassador. The former captain of the Provincial Team program, Jasmine is a strong mentor who helps support younger players grow in the sport.
Tessa Nagai (canoe racing) – Maple Ridge, BC
Tessa has been involved in canoe racing for five years and has earned the title of fastest female paddler in British Columbia. In her spare time Tessa volunteers for community youth racing programs and other events with the canoe club, as well as larger events in her community. Tessa is known as a graceful winner, leader and role model for younger athletes in her sport, who look up to her for insight and technical advice.
Coaches:
Lyndsay Belisle (wrestling) – Port Moody, BC
Lyndsay is a wrestling coach and has been playing and coaching in the sport for 20 years. She is known as one of the first women to wrestle in the Olympics at the Athens Summer Games in 2004. Lyndsay was nominated by her Team BC wrestling team who describes her as an incredible teacher and mentor both on and off the mat. They describe Lyndsay as a coach that spends time getting to know every athlete she coaches, both on a personal and professional level.
Christopher Dahl (volleyball – womens) – Victoria, BC
Chris is a women’s indoor volleyball coach and has been involved in the sport for 26 years. Chris has been coaching Team BC for eight consecutive years and also coaches grassroots clubs in his community. Chris teaches his athletes the skills of the sport and the importance of giving back to the sport as a volunteer. He is an incredible role model and advocate for building athletes that care about their sport and their community.
Nikki Reiter (athletics) – Kelowna, BC
Nikki is an athletics endurance coach and has been involved in the sport for 20 years. She currently coaches at the University of British Columbia Okanagan (UBCO) and the Okanagan Athletics Club. Nikki was nominated by her UBCO Heat Cross Country Team who praised Nikki’s work in organizing a series of fundraising initiatives that helped save the future of their club. Through her vast network, Nikki brings together runners of all ages and skill levels to train and learn together.
Patricia Sima-Ledding (athletics) – Kelowna, BC
Patricia is an athletics coach and has been involved in the sport for 29 years. Patricia is the president, founder and a coach for “Competitive Edge,” a company that offers a unique speed training program to athletes. However, after work Pat spends the remainder of her day coaching with Team BC or her team of high school athletes at the Okanagan Athletics Club. Pat also serves on the BC Athletics Track & Field Committee and continues to dedicate countless hours to growing athletics in her community.
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About ViaSport British Columbia:
ViaSport British Columbia is a not-for-profit organization established in 2011, responsible for providing strategic leadership to sport in BC in order to increase levels of physical activity at every stage of life, in every community. Formed in partnership with the provincial sport sector and the Province of BC, ViaSport is shaping a new, more effective model for sport delivery and funding support which drives increased participation, powers sport excellence and unifies all sport-related activity throughout the province.
For more information on the ACE Award recipients, please contact:
Meaghan Rentmeester
Communications Coordinator, ViaSport
E: [email protected]
P: 778-327-5185