Eight Outstanding Indigenous Athletes Receive Prestigious Award
Photo Credit David Luggi. (Back row) Letty Gingell, Nawican Friendship Centre, Ken Edzerza, I·SPARC Regional Lead Northeast, Teaira Bishop, Northeast Recipient, Sydney Kelly, Northeast Recipient, Loveena McCorkell, Northeast Recipient, Camryn Scully, Northeast Recipient, Rick Brant, I·SPARC Executive Director, Murphy Abraham, I·SPARC Regional Lead Alternate, Northeast, (Front row) Métis Elder Rose Bortolon, Daniel Sturgeon, Northeast Recipient, Nicholas Krawczyk, Northeast Recipient, Garnet Currie, Northeast Recipient, William Swyers, Northeast Recipient.
Prince George, B.C. (October 29, 2018) – The 2018 Premier’s Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport were presented last night to eight outstanding Indigenous youth athletes from British Columbia’s Northeast Region. The Awards were presented during a formal celebration held at the Nusdeh Yoh Aboriginal Choice School in Prince George, BC. The Northeast is the first of the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council’s (I·SPARC) six regions to honour Indigenous athletes through this unique province-wide awards program.
I·SPARC, in collaboration with the Province of British Columbia, launched the regional nomination process in August 2018, receiving nominations from across the province for Indigenous athletes under 25 years of age who are competing in performance sport and committed to living healthy, active lifestyles.
A total of 48 recipients were chosen within I·SPARC’s six regions – Northeast, Northwest, Interior, Fraser, Vancouver Coastal, and Vancouver Island.
The 2018 Premier’s Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport – Northeast Regional Recipients
- Camryn Scully, age 17, Hockey, Fastball, Métis Nation BC
- Garnet Currie, age 18, Swimming, Métis Nation BC
- Loveena McCorkell, age 14, Judo, Skin Tyee First Nation
- William Swyers, age 15, Swimming, Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation
- Sydney Kelly, age 18, Soccer, Lax-Kw’alaams
- Nicholas Krawczyk, age 14, Lacrosse, Duncan’s First Nation
- Teaira Bishop, age 14, Rugby, Basketball, Lake Babine First Nation
- Daniel Sturgeon, age 14, Lacrosse, Métis Nation BC
“I’m very proud to support these awards, which provide much-deserved recognition for our top young Indigenous athletes,” said Premier John Horgan. “It’s great to see these young champions achieving top results in such a wide variety of sports.”
“These talented young athletes are rising stars in their sports and role models in their communities,” said Minister Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture. “I hope these awards will encourage them to keep pursuing their dreams on and off the field of play.”
“Congratulations to the recipients from the Northeast,” said Ken Edzerza, Northeast Regional Lead for I·SPARC. “It was an important evening for us to gather our communities and families to honour our youth athletes and celebrate their successes. The Premier’s Awards recognize our young people who are leading by example and giving back in a big way to their sport and communities. Congratulations to our recipients.”
These Regional recipients automatically serve as nominees for the Provincial Awards. A total of 12 Provincial Awards (six male and six female) will be selected in January 2019. Provincial recipients will be presented with their award at Gathering our Voices: Indigenous Youth Leadership Forum in Port Alberni March 19-22, 2019.
Throughout November, the five remaining regions will host formal celebrations to honour their 2018 Regional Premier’s Awards recipients.
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About the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council
I·SPARC is a consortium of the BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, the First Nations Health Authority, and Métis Nation BC. As the stewards of BC’s Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity Strategy, I·SPARC works with First Nations, Métis Chartered Communities, Friendship Centres, schools and other sport and physical activity stakeholders to deliver community-based programs designed to promote active lifestyles and support the desire for transformative change in the health and well-being of Indigenous communities, families and individuals across B.C. For more information, please visit: www.isparc.ca.
Media Contact
Felicia Greekas
Manager, Premier’s Awards & Communications
250.940.4909
fgreekas@isparc.ca
