Canada has been participating in most sporting activities. These sports have brought significant impacts on Canada, and at the Canadian Sport Awards, the extraordinary achievements of Canada’s national team athletes were recognized. Punters have had an opportunity to bet on their favorite sports by visiting the best sports betting site in Canada for fun.
The 44th edition offered five awards, honoring Canadian athletes’ accomplishments and far-reaching contributions, with a star-studded list of contenders. The victors were announced in a virtual broadcast last Wednesday by AthletesCAN, the national team athletes’ organization.
The finalists for the first three prizes were announced, with the last two lists of nominations announced last Monday and Tuesday, respectively. Discussed below were the awards:
People’s choice award
This award honors current or retired national athletes who have either taken the virtual world by storm with an unforgettable event or made beneficial contributions through a digital platform, as determined by the fans.
Ten people were nominated, nine from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics or Paralympics. The winner was the Women’s National Team.
True sport award
This award honors a remarkable Canadian who represents the best sporting principles, such as sportsmanship, perseverance, and inclusion.
Kate O’Brien, a paralympic cyclist, was nominated together with Alphonso Davies, a soccer player, Leylah Fernandez, and Olympic race walker Evan Dunfee. Evan Dunfee emerged the winner.
Kate O’Brien
After weathering a life-altering crash in 2017 that left her with significant brain damage and other substantial physical impairments, O’Brien successfully finished her long and arduous trek to the Paralympic podium.
After doctors warned her she might never walk again, the 33-year-old Calgary native earned silver in Tokyo’s C4-5 500-meter time trial.
Alphonso Davies
For the first time since 1997, Davies assisted in guiding the men’s national soccer team to the final stage of CONCACAF qualification, putting them one step closer to a World Cup berth for the first time since 1986.
The 21-year-old Edmontonian was elected a global goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees earlier this year, making him the first Canadian and soccer player to do so.
Leylah Fernandez
Fernandez had a spectacular year, including her maiden Olympic appearance and a runner-up result at the US Open. She advanced to the final by defeating three top-five opponents, including defending champion Naomi Osaka.
With her incredible run, the 19-year-old wonder of Filipina-Ecuadorian origin inspired a new generation of Canadians, particularly in immigrant communities across the country.
Evan Dunfee
In the sport’s longest event, Dunfee won Olympic bronze in Tokyo’s 50-kilometer race walk event with an incredible sprint in the final moments, clocking 3 hours, 50 minutes, and 59 seconds. The Richmond, B.C. native showed sportsmanship by not challenging his contentious fourth-place finish at the last Games in Rio, where he was knocked off his stride by the eventual bronze medalist.
The 31-year-old set the national record in the 10,000-meter race walk this year, in addition to winning Canada’s first Olympic race walking medal in 29 years. Eventually, he won the award.
AthletesCAN Social Responsibility Award
This award honors current or former members of the Canadian national team who have used their platform as high-profile athletes to positively influence their sport or community on a local, national, or international level.
The award honors contributions to projects that promote diversity, inclusiveness, community, equity, volunteerism, and social change. Andre De Grasse, a sprinter, is among the nominees, along with fellow Olympians Mandy Bujold (boxing), Stephanie Labbé (soccer), and Kim Gaucher (soccer) (basketball).
Andre De Grasse
In May, De Grasse created the virtual challenge “RACE WITH ME!” to encourage children across Canada to get active to overcome the adverse mental and physical effects of pandemic restrictions.
The eight-week event, which was themed after a motivating picture book he published this summer, encouraged kids to race 400 meters before reporting their times online for a chance to win prizes. The six-time Olympic medalist from Markham, Ont. also provided the competitors with advice and words of support.
Mandy Bujold
The two-time Olympian created history by winning a precedent-setting case against the International Olympic Committee.
After being considered ineligible due to missing time during the qualification period due to pregnancy and postpartum depression, the 34-year-old earned a well-deserved spot at Tokyo 2020.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport declared that the qualification standards must include accommodation for women who were pregnant or postpartum during the qualification period due to Bujold’s victorious fight for gender parity.
Stephanie Labbe
The Canadian women’s goalkeeper has helped break down barriers to LGBTQ inclusiveness. She continues to help establish safe spaces for the Pride community while passionately advocating for LGBTQ visibility in sport.
Labbé’s efforts have resulted in forming a Sports Inclusion Task Force and launching a new Sports Inclusion website.
Kim Gaucher
Gaucher successfully convinced Tokyo 2020 organizers to amend their COVID-19 protocols, allowing Olympians to bring their newborn newborns to the city.
The basketball athlete from Mission, British Columbia, was still breastfeeding her three-month-old daughter and feared losing her Olympic goal. The 37-year-old used social media to argue her case, and her perseverance resulted in a verdict that permitted her and others to compete.
The AthletesCAN Social Responsibility Award was won by Mandy Bujold.
AthleteVoice award
This award recognizes remarkable accomplishments within a national sport organization, multi-sport organization, or international sports organization by athlete representatives. The award honors excellent leadership, boldness, and innovation, focusing on bringing about positive change.
This award was won by Karen Paquin.
Bruce Kidd Leadership award
This award honors a retired national team athlete, sports leader, or organization for their efforts as a leader, advocate, change agent, or builder in the Canadian sport sector.
Dr. Bruce Kidd, is a 1968 Canadian Sports Hall of Fame inductee who made significant contributions to Canada’s sports community as an athlete, advocate, author, historian, and academician.
The award was won by Jennifer Heil.
