Adding to their collection
Arendz, Moyse add to their trophy case during provincial sport organization’s annual ceremony
Mark Arendz and Heather Moyse are no strangers to winning Sport P.E.I awards.
Between them, they won four more at the provincial sport organization’s awards ceremony Tuesday in Charlottetown, but both say every one of them matters.
“Each one is special. Every one represents another year of hard work and success,” Arendz said after winning the Lieutenant Governor’s Award. “They also motivate me to not stay the same, to constantly push for more. You have to stay ahead to push to that next level.”
Arendz, a Hartsville native, also won the senior male athlete of the year and shared the Bill Halpenny Award with para hockey’s Billy Bridges on Tuesday.
The night’s tally for Arendz for his six-medal performance at the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games, made it his second straight Lieutenant Governor’s prize and fourth in five years. He’s shared two of those awards with Moyse (2013, 2104) and Moyse has won it twice outright (2010, 2006).
Wrestler Veronica Keefe won the senior female athlete of the year (Moyse was nominated in the category). Junior male and female winners were hockey’s Noah Dobson and wrestler Hannah Taylor, respectively.
Rugby’s Alysha Corrigan earned the intercollegiate female, while J.P. Stevenson took home the intercollegiate male athlete. Curling’s Peter Gallant snagged coach of the year and the Hunter’s Ale House Mudmen rugby club nabbed team of the year honours.
For Moyse, who’s work with rookie bobsleigh driver Alysia Rissling at the 2018 Olympics gave her the nod for the Inspiration Award, the honours reinforce her roots and, by her own admission, usually produces tears (she shed a few Tuesday in her acceptance speech).
“It’s hard to get through without
crying. It’s about where I come from and the people behind me. I talk about family and my Island and I get emotional,” Moyse said. “I’m a professional speaker, but when I’m (accepting these awards) my voice gets so high only dogs can hear me.”
The Special Olympics bowling championships bagged the event of the year prize.
Official of the year went to softball’s Mike French, volunteer was Brenda Beaton and the P.E.I. Rugby Union won sport organization of the year.