HIGH ACHIEVERS: Multi-talented Charlie Mortimer receives $5,000 Brian Maxwell scholarship

By Martin Cleary

When the calendar page flips to September, Charlie Mortimer will be turning a new page as well in his proficient academic and athletic life.

Three months after graduating from Hillcrest High School, he will head to Queen’s University in Kingston to focus on a life sciences degree – with a possible, down-the-road goal of medical school – and compete for the Gaels’ cross-country running team.

As he carefully takes this next step up the academic ladder at a prestigious Canadian university, Mortimer will have plenty of momentum on his side.

An Ontario scholar, Mortimer maintained a classroom average of more than 90 per cent, which is an admirable accomplishment given his ultra busy schedule involving all things Hillcrest.

When he wasn’t running cross-country races or competing in distance races on the track for the Hawks, he was serving as Hillcrest’s student council co-president or playing violin in the school orchestra or banging out Jingle Bell Rock on his guitar at a talent show or reviving the school’s intramural sports program.

Hillcrest administrators noted his dedication to the south-side Ottawa school throughout his four-year stay, but so did the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations.

Earlier this month, OFSAA, which oversees all high school sport championships in Ontario, announced Mortimer was one of eight recipients of the Brian Maxwell Memorial Scholarship Fund. The student-athletes, who were all connected to track and field or cross-country running, were honoured at a special awards reception at the Emerald Hills Golf Club in Stouffville.

They each received a $5,000 scholarship to put towards their post-secondary education at a Canadian university or college. OFSAA selected the eight student-athletes because they displayed qualities of honesty, integrity, compassion and “an unwavering quest to accomplish the best academically and athletically, while supporting fellow team members.”

Maxwell was an accomplished distance runner, winning titles at the OFSAA and Canadian juvenile, junior and senior levels. He was named to the 1978 Commonwealth Games and 1980 Summer Olympic teams and co-founded the nutritional supplement PowerBar with his wife Jennifer.

In 2004, Maxwell, who was born with a defective heart valve, died at age 51 from a heart attack. He won the 1978 Ottawa Marathon in a photo finish over Paul Bannon on the campus of Carleton University.

“I was overjoyed,” Mortimer said in a phone interview this week. “Honestly, I’ve put so many hours into this sport (running) and I love it.

“It’s a really nice award that acknowledges my achievements, all my academics and what I was involved in at school. It’s a running scholarship, but I put so much work into high school, as head of the athletic association or co-president. It took so many hours. It wasn’t flashy stuff, like winning a race. After school, I’d be helping until 7 p.m. to set up an event.”

Not only did Mortimer’s schedule include a busy high school life, but also he was involved with running for the Ottawa Lions Track and Field Club at local, provincial and national competitions and helping stage weekly outdoor Twilight meets and as well as some volunteer community work.

“I tried scheduling, but that doesn’t work for me,” he added. “I love to spend time and work for goals that challenge me. I’m a bit neurotic and need to do something and work towards a goal.”

Athletically, Mortimer had an exceptional high school running career, whether on the trails or on the track.

In the fall, he posted four top-three finishes at the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association cross-country running championships, winning the boys’ senior title in 2025 and junior in 2023. He was second in 2022 as a novice and third as a first-year senior in 2024.

In the spring, his attention turned to distance running for Hillcrest as he qualified for two NCSSAA track and field championship races each year and finished with five first-place results, two seconds and one third.

As a second-year senior this year, he won both the 3,000 metres and 2,000-metre steeplechase and also swept the 1,500- and 3,000-metre junior finals in 2024. His other win came in the 2,000-metre steeplechase in 2025 along with a second over 3,000 metres. In his first year, he was second in the boys’ novice 3,000 metres and third in the 1,500 metres.

His exceptional running at the city high school championships qualified him for four OFSAA cross-country and four OFSAA track and field championships.

Mortimer earned top-10 results at three provincial high school cross-country championships, including a best-ever ranking of fifth in the boys’ senior race in 2025. He also was sixth as a novice in 2022 and ninth as a junior in 2023.

On the track, he registered five top-10 showings with his best results coming in the 2,000-metre steeplechase – a bronze-medal finish in 2025 and fourth in 2026.

Mortimer also was named Hillcrest’s senior male athlete of the year in 2025 and 2026. His involvement in cross-country running, track and field, soccer and ultimate allowed him to earn the school’s letter H for varsity sports participation.

While representing Hillcrest exceptionally well away from the school, he was particularly proud of what he achieved inside the school by resurrecting its intramural sports program.

With the help of a teacher or two, Mortimer brought back the lunch-hour intramural sports program to allow those students who didn’t make the Hawks’ varsity teams a chance to participate and enjoy basketball, volleyball, badminton and soccer.

The intramural program faded when Mortimer was in Grade 10. But he found the time and had the energy to lead a revival of intramural sports.

“I think it was a great way to meet people,” Mortimer explained. “Intramurals are more for the average kid, a great way to introduce sports to those not big into athletics.

“A lot of kids are scared to get involved in sports and are not super confident. But everyone gained something from it (intramurals).”

When basketball was in session, Mortimer added a halftime, slam-dunk competition to the schedule for one game and it was well received.

As student council co-president, life was never dull. But he did find time to get involved in the Christmas talent show by playing Jungle Bell Rock on his guitar.

“I’m really looking forward to going to university,” Mortimer said. “I do miss Hillcrest, but I still feel a part of it. I miss all the people, the teachers and my close friends.”

SECOND WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD MEDAL FOR KEVIN TOBIN

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Special Olympic athlete Kevin Tobin of Ottawa has only been paddling for four years, but his inclusive training with his Ottawa River Canoe Club teammates is paying off big time.

Tobin, who has autism and ADHD, is filled with positive vibes as he feels included in the club’s competition group training sessions and is motivated by their belief in him as a developing paddler.

If you ask him, Tobin will tell you he believes that good things are going to happen.

The 2026 world senior canoe kayak and paracanoe championships in Poznan, Poland, are a perfect example of good things happening for Tobin.

For the second straight day, he produced a gold-medal performance in a convincing manner on Thursday. Competing in the 2KT1 men’s Special Olympic 200-metre final, Tobin put in a commanding effort for a winning time of one minute, 14.83 seconds.

Niklas Hermes of Germany trailed Tobin by 16.46 seconds in second place.

On Wednesday, Tobin, 18, won the 2 men’s Unifield 200-metre final with Nikita Ciudin of Calgary in 57.83 seconds. At the opening ceremony for the world championships, he was a flag bearer with Payton Dicks of Cheema Aquatics Club in Waverly, N.S.

Ottawa River’s Brianna Hennessy gave herself a second chance Thursday to win her first-ever gold medal at the world championships, when she qualified for a second paracanoe final.

A day after advancing to the KL1 200-metre final, Hennessy won her VL2 heat in 1:04.45 and qualified directly for the medal race. She won her heat by 4.13 seconds.

In May, Hennessy won the VL2 200-metre race during a World Cup on the same Poznan race course.

Rideau Canoe Club’s Zoe Wojtyk and Katie Vincent of Mississauga moved into the women’s C2 500-metre final, after placing second in their semifinal in 2:08.22.

Sophia Jensen of the Cascades Canoe Club moved into her second semifinal, when she won her women’s C1 200-metre heat in 48.93 seconds, which was the fourth-best time from the preliminary round.

Rideau’s Toshka Besharah had contrasting results in her two races. She was third in her women’s K1 200-metre heat to reach the semifinals in an 11th-best time of 43.87 seconds. But the women’s K4 500-metre boat of Callie Loch of Rideau, Michelle Russell of Dartmouth, N.S, Riley Melanson of Halifax and Besharah was ninth in its semifinal in 1:48.42 and missed a berth in the A or B finals.

In the women’s K2 500 metres, Loch and Russell were sixth in their heat in 2:01.73, but were promoted to the semifinals.

Gabriel Ferron-Bouius of Rideau was sixth in his men’s KL3 200-metre paracanoe heat in 47.08 seconds and will prepare for his semifinal.

CANOEISTS ISAAC FINKELSTEIN, PETER BRADLEY COMBINE FOR MORE NATIONALS GOLD

A pair of Rideau Canoe Club gold medallists combined for more of the same on their home course during Day 3 of the Canadian sprint canoe kayak and paracanoe championships on Thursday.

Isaac Finkelstein and Peter Bradley worked together to win the open men’s C2 1,000 metres in three minutes, 44.572 seconds. It was the third gold medal for Finkelstein and the second for Bradley.

The Carleton Place Canoe Club won a pair of gold medals late in the program as it placed first in the U16 mixed C15 500-metre war canoe final and Isabel Lowry and Abbigail Haines won the U18 women’s C2 200 metres in 45.466 seconds.

The Eastern Ontario Division also had medal performances from these paddlers:

· Alegra Dasilva-Deyette, Addie Masson, Jane Schlosser and Kinsley Daniels, Rideau, U16 women’s C4 1000 metres, silver, 4:54.189.

· George Farnsworth and Riley Taylor, Rideau, U18 men’s K2 500 metres, silver, 34.527 seconds.

· Adrian Wells, John Morewood, Reid Sissons-Smith and Samuel Bourdon, Rideau, U16 men’s C4 1,000 metres, bronze, 4:34.898.

· Maren Bradley and Emily Best, Rideau, open women’s K2 1,000 metres, bronze, 3:58.500.

· Erik Grimsrud, Hugo Dumont, Mason Cobb and Daniel Seely, Rideau, U16 men’s K4 1,000 metres, bronze, 3:22.390.

· Abbie Begbig and Zoe Hatfield, Ottawa River Canoe Club, U18 women’s K2 1,000 metres, bronze, 4:00.409; U18 women’s K2 200 metres, bronze, 42.015.

· Roenn Hodgins and Luka Ribero, Carleton Place Canoe Club, U18 men’s C2 1,000 metres, 4:02.712.

· Rideau Canoe Club, U16 mixed C15 500-metre war canoe, bronze.

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