TSHS awards presented this Sunday

Editor’s Note

Other nominees and recipients were listed in previous editions of the Truro News.

The Truro Sport Heritage Society, after a COVID break, will host the annual awards celebration this Sunday, May 7, at the Marigold Cultural Centre in Truro. The event celebrates and honours athletes, coaches, teams, and volunteers who had significant sport accomplishments in 2022.

Tickets can be purchased at the Marigold Cultural Centre, or by phone – 902-897-4004, or Ticket Pro. Prices for the event are adults $20, and youth $15. For more information email trurosportshalloffame@gmail.com or call 902-897-4004.

MERIT AWARD – BIKE TRURO

Bike Truro is three individuals (Mike Knowlton, Keith Gillis, and Aaron Tooker) who have come together to be a champion in the community for mountain biking and Victoria Park’s Railyard. Through social media, they have a strong presence informing and educating the community on the best places to ride, trail etiquette, organizing community rides, and supporting other organizations.

During the year, they assist Town of Truro Parks, Recreation and Culture Department with preparing trails by removing debris, leaf blowing, assisting with trail building days or putting in numerous hours on their snowdog creating trails in the snow. It needs to be noted they groom the trails in the worse conditions and in the middle of the night, all so the community can enjoy fat-biking in perfect conditions.

Although they are avid mountain bikers, they are huge advocates of sharing the trail and encourage the entire community to just get outside and move.

Mike, Keith and Aaron are nothing but supportive and positive individuals who just want to make their community a better place.

SPECIAL OLYMPIAN OF THE YEAR - JASON HICKS

As a skilled dual athlete, Jason Hicks has been a member of both the Cobequid Special Olympics athletics and the floor hockey teams since 2014. In addition to participating with these local teams, Jason was also invited to become a member of the Special Olympics Nova Scotia Athletics training squad in 2019, based on his many notable sprinting achievements.

For the past several years, this development opportunity saw him travelling weekly to the Canada Games Centre to practice with fellow runners from throughout the province. He trained multiple times a week, year-round, in both Truro and Halifax, with the ultimate goal of earning a berth on Team NS for the 2022 Canada Summer Games.

Definitely, 2022 was a year of highlights for Jason. He won three gold medals for sprinting at the Special Olympics Provincial Summer Games held in Antigonish.

The Athletics NS race season saw him consistently attain personal best times in the lead-up to the Canada Games selection trials, and he earned his place as one of two male Special Olympics sprinters on Team NS, running the 100m and 200m at the Canada Games this past August. He was motivated and impressed by the high calibre of competition he found there, and this experience of a lifetime saw him finish the Games as the fastest male Special Olympics sprinter from all of Atlantic Canada.

Jason is a good teammate who leads by example and encourages others; he is highly coachable and is very committed to his sport. He has appreciated the support of many coaches throughout his years of running. In preparing for the Canada Games, in addition to his Halifax trainers, he benefitted greatly from the experience, advice, and support of Truro coach Jake Borden, as well as a number of other fine coaches with his Cobequid Special Olympics Athletics team. The hard work has definitely paid off.

SPORT LEGACY AWARD DAVID BYRNE

David Byrne became a member of the Truro Golf Club in 1979. He has won the Truro Senior Club Championship nine times since 2007. At the age of 86, David has shot his age or better 74 times and has never looked back. He shot his age or lower over 400 times over his lifetime.

Dave has been a kind mentor, a talented partner, and a good friend to all he has played with at the Truro Golf Club over the years. He sets a great example for all as he continues to enjoy an exceptional game of golf.

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR - IAIN LAPOINTE

Iain Lapointe has been a very dedicated and hard-working volunteer coach for 18 years in his hometown of Truro.

When beginning his teaching career at CEC, Iain volunteered to be head coach of CEC’S javelin team and then took on the track and field head coach responsibilities for many years. He has built the team to well over 100 student-athletes annually. The CEC teams have dominated provincial competitions over the years. Many of the athletes under his tutelage have received scholarships to compete at the university level in Canada and the U.S.

During the CEC off-season, Iain also coaches the Truro Lions Track and Field Club, which is another huge time commitment and undertaking. He also coaches basketball with Ecole Acadienne de Truro. The Town of Truro is in the midst of revitalizing the TAAC grounds for which Iain has played a major role, working on this project for the last eight years. Iain has spent countless hours volunteering and influencing student-athletes with his positive attitude. He has made a significant impact on thousands of children and youth and on his community in general.