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By Dan Plouffe
A full house of 450+ celebrated the best in local amateur sport for 2024 on Wednesday evening at the Infinity Convention Centre for what was a historic edition of the annual Ottawa Sports Awards Dinner as speed skater Ivanie Blondin matched the career record for most athlete of the year awards.
Blondin’s father Robert collected his daughter’s sixth Kristina Groves Female Athlete of the Year Trophy (the award is named after Ottawa’s most decorated Olympian, who won four Olympic speed skating medals on top of her six local female athlete awards).
Blondin sent a video from Milwaukee, where she continued her regular tradition of winning medals at each World Cup stop.
“It’s just exciting, so thank you all once again,” Blondin said of earning the female athlete prize. “It is always such an honour for me to get these awards. I’ve always had some big shoes to fill after Kristina Groves.”
2024 male athlete of the year Tyrone Henry, who won his second such honour, was able to pick up his prize since he wasn’t quite as far away from home for his para ice hockey training in Montreal.
Henry’s father Andrew was also in the crowd and was one of the supporters Henry thanked, along with the Sledge Hockey of Eastern Ontario.
“A huge shout-out to them for everything they’ve done in the community,” said the member of Canada’s 2024 world-champion team, which upset USA in the gold medal game. “That’s where I started playing sledge hockey and found my love and passion for the sport.”
Read More: HIGH ACHIEVERS: Ivanie Blondin, Tyrone Henry repeat as Ottawa Sports Awards’ athletes of the year
The gathering of young and old from piles of different sports in the city came together for the 72nd edition of the Ottawa Sports Awards Dinner, which gave out well over 100 prizes throughout the night.
Representatives of the Carleton University Ravens women’s basketball team earned two of the major awards. They took home the female team of the year honour after repeating as Canadian university champions, while their coach Dani Sinclair was recognized as female coach of the year.
David Fox earned his first male coach of the year honour after leading Ottawa South United Force youth soccer teams to multiple heart-stopping provincial titles.
It was another soccer team that took the male team of the year award as the OSA recognized Gloucester Celtic FC, the national men’s amateur champions.
The Ottawa Sports Awards also gave out four lifetime achievement awards for coaching, volunteering/administration, officiating and for outstanding contribution to sport in Ottawa.
Nepean Nighthawks Field Hockey Club founders Sandeep and Maureen Chopra received the Mayor’s Cup from Deputy Mayor David Brown, while the Nighthawks were also awarded a $500 Ottawa Sports Endowment donation to support their Stick Together Program, which provides free registrations and transportation to Indigenous players
Ann Perry received the lifetime technical official award for her work in athletics, golf and curling.
Long-time Ottawa Valley Cricket Council director and statistician John Lexmond earned the lifetime award for volunteer/administrator.
And Ottawa Rhythmic Gymnastics Club founder and Special Olympics coach Xinhong (Sing) Jin received the lifetime coaching award.
Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club sprinter Wendy Alexis was given a Special Recognition Award in recognition of her exceptional career as a masters athlete, who’s set to chase a world-record performance this coming season of under 14.70 seconds in the 100 metres for the women’s 70-75 age group.
And receiving the Spirit of Sport Award from High Achievers columnist Martin Cleary was Geneviève Morrison for her inspirational pursuit of an Olympic wrestling berth after seven years away from the sport and as a mother to three young kids.
A total of 52 teams that won major championships last year along with 68 individuals recognized as the top athletes in their sports were also honoured.
Among winners of the top athlete awards in sports from archery through to wrestling came a nod to the OSA’s past. Lawn bowls winner Dean Chamberlin, 75, followed in the footsteps of his father who’d been honoured as the city’s top five-pin bowler at the very first local amateur sports awards banquet back in 1953.
The winner of the snowboarding award was Caily Lemmex, who is 60 years younger than Chamberlin. Both of those honourees were among the OSA winners the Ottawa Sports Pages recently profiled – you can read those stories by clicking on the links below, and you can also view the full list of winners and a summary of their achievements at OttawaSportsAwards.ca.