Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Names Class of 2014

TORONTO – Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame today announced the Class of 2014. The Athletes who were announced and recognized with Canada’s highest sporting honour are ski jumping champion, Horst Bulau, pioneer of the superpipe event, Sarah Burke, dual sport champion, Pierre Harvey, women’s hockey pioneer, Geraldine Heaney, figure skating superstar, Elizabeth Manley and Canada’s gift to rugby, Gareth Rees. The Builders who were announced as inductees are wheelchair basketball pioneer, Tim Frick and renowned basketball coach, Kathy Shields.

The Class of 2014 inductees present were Horst Bulau, Geraldine Heaney, Elizabeth Manley, Gareth Rees, Tim Frick and Sarah Burke’s father, Gordon Burke. In attendance to announce the Class of 2014 were Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Honoured Members: Michelle Cameron-Coulter, Dr. Bruce Kidd, Kerrin Lee-Gartner, Marnie McBean and Pat Stapleton.

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame was pleased to announce Michael Medline, President, Canadian Tire Corporation, as the Honourary Chair of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame 2014 Induction Celebrations presented by Canadian Tire. The celebrations will be returning to Toronto on October 22, 2014 at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, the former Maple Leaf Gardens. “We are a proud partner of Canadian Tire and thrilled to have Michael Medline as our Honourary Chair working toward the biggest celebration of sport in Canada,” said Mario Siciliano, President and CEO of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

“The Class of 2014 is truly an inspiring group of Canadian sports heroes,” said Colin MacDonald, Chair of Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Board of Governors.  “We are proud to be able to share the stories of their achievements so that we can inspire all Canadians to be the best they can be in all aspects of life.  Our new Honoured Members and a number of sports heroes from across Canada who have been previously inducted will be at the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame 2014 Induction Celebrations presented by Canadian Tire event in Toronto on October 22 to celebrate as the Class of 2014 are officially inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.”

TIM FRICK

As Head Coach of the Canadian Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team from 1990 to 2009, Tim developed Team Canada into one of the most dominant teams in the history of all Canadian amateur sports. He led Team Canada to an incredible decade-long undefeated streak in major international competition, including an unprecedented three consecutive Paralympic gold medals (1992, 1996, 2000), four consecutive Wheelchair Basketball World Championship titles (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006), and bronze medals at the Wheelchair Basketball World Championship (1990) and Paralympics (2004).

Early in his career, Tim coached Rick Hansen during his Man in Motion World Tour. Rick Hansen said, “Tim Frick was my friend, my coach, and my Difference Maker. Tim challenged me to be the best I could be, to find excellence through hard work and purpose. Tim helped me become the “Man in Motion”.”

Tim has a natural ability to bring out the very best in people. He inspires, motivates and encourages through his coaching style and believes in preparation of the athlete, not beating the opponent. Throughout his career, Tim has been a champion for the development of opportunities for sport and physical activity for persons with disabilities.

KATHY SHIELDS

Kathy Shields has had an incredible career as both an athlete and a coach, spanning over three decades. Her coaching involvement includes Assistant Coach with the University of Victoria Vikettes (1977-1978), Head Coach with the University of Victoria Vikes (1979-2001), Assistant Coach with Team Canada (1981-1994) and Head Coach for the Senior Women’s National Team (1992-1995). Kathy led the University of Victoria Vikettes/Vikes to 8 CIAU/CIS National titles and had a record of 320 wins and only 50 losses. She has been awarded the Canada West Coach of the Year nine times and has won the CIAU/CIS Coach of the Year.

Kathy has contributed to the landscape of Canadian women’s basketball where fourteen of her athletes have gone on to represent Canada internationally. Additionally, an unimaginable eight of her former athletes and assistant coaches have become head coaches of university teams. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, Shields uses her skills shaped over her many years of coaching to counsel others going through breast cancer treatment.

HORST BULAU

Considered Canada’s greatest ski jumper of all time, Horst Bulau enjoyed an outstanding ski jumping career from 1978 until his retirement in 1992. He won a World Junior Men’s Ski Jumping Championship in 1979 and represented Canada in the 70m, 90m and 120m ski jumping events in four Olympic Winter Games: Lake Placid, 1980; Sarajevo, 1984; Calgary, 1988 and; Albertville, 1992. At the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, Horst placed 7th, the best finish ever by a Canadian ski jumper in the 120m event. Between 1978 and 1988, Horst competed in 129 events on the World Cup ski jumping circuit, including 13 World Cup wins with 26 podium finishes and was consistently ranked 2nd or 3rd in the world during most of his career.

Horst raised the profile of ski jumping in Canada through his love of the sport, the love of his country, and the drive to be the best that he could be. No ski jumper has even come close to achieving his success. Horst has chosen to remain in Canada and volunteers in his community and inspires others with the love of sport.

PIERRE HARVEY

Pierre Harvey is one of the few Canadian athletes who ever competed in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. Pierre represented Canada as an Olympian in 1984 at the Sarajevo Olympic Winter Games in cross-country skiing and at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Summer Games in cycling, and again at the 1988 Calgary Olympic Winter Games.   Pierre made history in 1987 when he became the first Canadian to ever win an international cross-country event; a 30 km freestyle World Cup race at Falun, Sweden. He went on to win another three medals in World Cup competition in 1987 and 1988 before retiring in 1989. In total, Pierre competed in 50 Cross-Country Ski World Cup events and would stand atop the Canadian Cross-Country Ski Championships podium an amazing 35 times, including 22 Gold, 8 Silver, and 5 Bronze. A product of the Canada Games system, Pierre Harvey was a dual-sport athlete who has become an icon for both Canadian Cross-Country skiers and cyclists.

GARETH REES

Gareth Rees is known around the world for his outstanding rugby skills. At 19 years of age, he was the youngest person ever to be named to an All World Rugby XV. Gareth is also the only man to have represented his country, starting in every game, in four Consecutive Rugby World Cups – 1987, 1991, 1995, and 1999. Gareth is also the first man in the world to Captain his country in two Rugby World Cups, 1995 and 1999 and was captain of the Canadian National team 25 times in his 14 years with the team. He won scoring titles in France, Wales and England where he played professionally for a decade and Gareth is still ranked in the top 10 all-time point scorers in the Rugby World Cup. Since his retirement, Gareth has been a passionate advocate, introducing rugby to beginners of all ages across Canada and around the world.

GERALDINE HEANEY

In 1980, at the age of 13, Geraldine Heaney started playing hockey with the Toronto Aeros. This began a long and successful career playing in a then male-dominated game, and ultimately developing women’s hockey into the forefront of Canadian sport culture.

Geraldine won seven gold medals at the IIHF Ice Hockey Women’s World Championships (1990, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001), the only woman to have ever accomplished this, won a silver medal at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, and a gold medal at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. More than a decade after her retirement, Geraldine remains the highest scoring defenceman in the history of Canada’s National Women’s Team. Geraldine takes her responsibility as a role model for young girls very seriously and continues to advance the women’s game.

ELIZABETH MANLEY

Elizabeth Manley is a world class figure skater with an exemplary list of accomplishments in her career. Her 50 national and international achievements include being a two-time U.S. Open Figure Skating Champion, three-time Canadian Figure Skating Champion, the 1988 World Figure Skating Silver Medallist, the 1988 Olympic Winter Figure Skating Freestyle Champion, and ultimately the 1988 Olympic Winter Figure Skating Silver Medallist. Elizabeth is credited as being the first Canadian female to successfully land a triple-double combination jump in competition. She also received the Order of Canada in 1988.

With all of Elizabeth’s athletic success, Canadians were not aware that she battled severe depression. Instead of hiding her personal challenge, Elizabeth made her depression public in hopes that it could help others. Her inspiring inner strength in dealing with mental illness, and her tireless efforts in support of mental health, Elizabeth won a gold medal in life and is a role model for all of Canada to be proud of.

SARAH BURKE

Sarah Burke was a rising star in the world of Freestyle Skiing. In competition, she was the FIS Freestyle World Ski Champion – Half-pipe in 2005, a four-time gold medallist at the Winter X Games, a gold medallist at the Nippon Open Slopestyle in 2007 and the 2007 gold medallist at the WSI, Whistler Pipe. Sarah was the first woman to land a 720, 900 & 1080 degree rotation in competition.

Sarah started in her sport when there were no women competitors and she could only compete with men. With her strength, personality and belief that all girls should have an equal chance, she attracted and often trained a generation of female competitors. Sarah’s passion and perseverance has been recognized as having been instrumental in the recent inclusion of her sport at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, but she was unable to compete due to her untimely death. She died in January 2012 at the age of 29 after succumbing to injuries suffered while training. Sarah was, and will remain a great role model for youth across Canada and above all, will be remembered for her warmth, her smile and her love of life.

About Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is an international award-winning facility with over 40,000 square feet of inspiring experiences. Located at Canada Olympic Park (COP), site of the 1988 Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame features 12 galleries, more than 50 hands-on interactive experiences and a collection of more than 95,000 artefacts. Our mission is to share the stories of the achievements of our Honoured Members so that we can inspire all Canadians to be the best they can be in all aspects of life; Inspiring Canadians -in sport and life. Please visit www.sportshall.ca to learn more about our education programs, facility rentals and corporate retreats.

*Please note that the official name is Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, not the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.

MEDIA CONTACT

Marnie Krell
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame
P: 403.776.1086 | C: 403.437.0939 | [email protected]

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