ParaFed Canterbury held their annual Sports Awards on Friday night at the Chateau on the Park and for the 9th time Paralympian Sophie Pascoe was named Sportsperson of the Year.
Attended by over 100 guests, the night was an opportunity for ParaFed Canterbury to recognise the achievements of their members from the past 12 months. The special guest for the evening was New Zealand Paralympian and silver medallist, Holly Robinson. Originally from Hokitika and now training in Dunedin, Robinson shared with the audience her experiences in Rio and her involvement with ParaFed Canterbury as a young athlete.
The major awards were dominated by Canterbury’s three Paralympians, which is not surprising following an outstanding Rio 2016 Paralympic Games.
Following her three gold and two silver medals in Rio, Pascoe was named the ParaFed Canterbury Sportsperson of the Year. Unfortunately Pascoe couldn’t attend on the night, as she is holidaying overseas, however Paralympics New Zealand Chief Executive, Fiona Allan, accepted the award on her behalf.
William Stedman, double bronze medallist from Rio, was named ParaFed Canterbury Junior Sportsperson of the Year following his outstanding efforts on the track. Fellow Paralympian, Scott Martlew, was announced as the Graham Condon Scholarship recipient, which will support him to the ParaCanoe World Championships next year.
The ParaFed Canterbury Awards Function was held on the evening of Friday 25th November 2016 and the winners were:
Award Winners
Sportsperson of the Year – Sophie Pascoe (Para-Swimming)
Junior Sportsperson of the Year – William Stedman (Para-Athletics)
Graham Condon Scholarship – Scott Martlew (Para-Canoe)
JS Apparel & Biz Collection Emerging Talent of the Year – Ella Benn (Para-Swimming)
Spirit in Sport Award – Amber Proudfoot
Most Valued Volunteer Award – The Chin Family
Boccia Club Player of the Year – Thomas Chin
Club Swimmer of the Year – Celyn Edwards
Shooting Club Ultimate Shot Award – Grant Philip
Canterbury Wheelchair Rugby MVP – Cody Everson
PNZ Cyril Smith Legacy Coach Scholarships
George Edwards (Para-Athletics)
Andrea Hall (Para-Athletics)
Paul Odlin (Para-Cycling)
Kayne Tukapua (Para-Swimming)
For more information and a full list of award winners visit www.parafedcanterbury.co.nz
