Canadian Sport Awards Winners Announcement

    
                   Jasey-Jay Anderson & Christine Nesbitt
                     2009 Male/Female Athlete of the Year

               Marianne St-Gelais, Junior Athlete of the Year;
                 Para Curling (mixed team), Team of the Year
    

TORONTO, March 3 /CNW Telbec/ - The True Sport Foundation officially announced the winners for the 37th Canadian Sport Awards (CSA) at an awards presentation held at the Canadian Sports Centre Ontario in Toronto. Today's event celebrated excellence in sport and honoured the athletes and leaders who competed and inspired hope throughout the 2009 calendar year.

Leaders from the sport and corporate communities gathered at the presentation to represent the pinnacle of commitment and competition in the world of Canadian amateur sport. Representatives from government and members of the general public were also able to attend the ceremony and catch a glimpse of some of Canada's sporting heroes.

Canadian snowboarder Jasey-Jay Anderson scored the honour of Male Athlete of the Year, while speedskater Christine Nesbitt was awarded Female Athlete of the Year.

Short track speedskater Marianne St-Gelais was named Junior Athlete of the Year and Team of the Year went to Para Curling (mixed team). Partners of the Year went to the world record setting Women's Speed Skating Team (Groves, Nesbitt and Schussler).

The Leadership in Sport award went posthumously to Jack Poole, Chairman of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC) who passed away on October 23, 2009.

"This is a special year for our athletes and sport leaders," said Victor Lachance, Executive Director, The True Sport Foundation. "Canada is overcome with pride for all of our sport heroes."

    
    WINNERS OF THE 37TH CANADIAN SPORT AWARDS:
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The Athletic Performance Awards recognize outstanding athletic performance.

Male Athlete of the Year: Jasey-Jay Anderson, Snowboarding

Female Athlete of the Year: Christine Nesbitt, Speed Skating

Junior Athlete of the Year: Marianne St-Gelais, Speed Skating

Team of the Year: Para Curling (mixed team)

Partners of the Year: Women SSK (Groves, Nesbitt, Schussler)

The Leadership Awards recognize and celebrate an individual's outstanding contribution to the betterment of sport. Finalists include:

Leadership in Sport Award: Jack Poole (awarded posthumously)

Volunteer Achievement: Maureen Orchard

Athlete Leadership Award: Adam Kreek

The Corporate Excellence Award recognizes and celebrates a corporation who provides outstanding support to Canadian sport. The winner is: Intact Insurance

The Spirit of Sport Story of the Year category recognizes and celebrates Canadian heroes who, in the pursuit of sporting excellence, have demonstrated values such as fairness, inclusion, perseverance, sportsmanship, respect for others, and a true love of sport.

The winner is: Solider On (SO) program

ATHLETES VISIT TORONTO SCHOOL FOR "TRUE SPORT ROAD TRIP"

The morning before the awards presentation, athletes and sport leaders visited Grenoble Public School in the Flemingdon Park area of downtown Toronto. Visitors included: Jasey Jay Anderson, Adam Kreek, Aaron Brown, Brittany Schussler, Annamay Pierse, MCpl Jody Mitic, Krystina Alogbo, Chris Sobkowicz, Ina Forrest, James Dunaway and Mark Laidlaw. The event was supported by Sport Chek.

This is the third year in a row that the True Sport Foundation has organized a community outreach effort on the same day as the Canadian Sport Awards as a way to engage and inspire school children in sport. The True Sport Road Trip took the athletes into the school in order to expose students to the positive accomplishments and empowering stories of some of Canada's top amateur athletes. The attending athletes went into the school to read, play and engage in a dialogue with students with the goal of demonstrating how sport can lift the human spirit and encouraging them to follow their own dreams.

Says Lachance: "The True Sport Foundation is very grateful to the enthusiastic community of Grenoble Public School for opening its doors to embrace this event and welcome Canada's athletic community."

The 2009 winners were chosen by an independent jury from among finalists in the following categories: Athletic Performance, Leadership in Sport, Athlete Leadership, Volunteer Achievement, Corporate Excellence and Spirit of Sport Story of the Year.

Nomination Eligibility

Any Canadian citizen can nominate an individual, team or corporation for the Canadian Sport Awards. Individuals and corporations can also self-nominate. Eligible entries were for performances or contributions from January 1, 2009 through to December 31, 2009.

The CSA brings together leaders from the sporting and corporate communities who represent the pinnacle of commitment and competition: Canadian amateur athletes, coaches, sport leaders and volunteers. The annual event promotes sporting excellence across Canada, and reminds Canadians how sport lifts the human spirit.

About the True Sport Foundation

The True Sport Foundation is a charitable organization committed to ensuring that sport makes a positive contribution to Canadian society. Managed by the Foundation, the Canadian Sport Awards boasts a strong relationship with its modern day founding partners, which include Athletes CAN, the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada, the Canada Games and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. For more information about the Canadian Sport Awards, please visit www.canadiansportawards.ca.

For complete nomination rules and guidelines, and more information about the Canadian Sport Awards, please visit www.canadiansportawards.ca.

For further information: Robin Turnbull, Canadian Sport Awards, Program Director, [phone], [email protected]; Victor Lachance, Executive Director, True Sport Foundation, [phone], [email protected]