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Search Inductees
Induction Category
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ATHLETE/ BUILDERS
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There are individuals who
attain excellence in sport on several levels of participation, and in
doing so, create opportunities for others and inspire young and old
alike in the pursuit of excellence in sport and in life. These
men and women are athletes, players, coaches, trainers, managers,
officials, fundraisers, promoters, and volunteers; they are leaders and
organizers whose innovative thinking, expertise, and commitment of time
and energy forms the foundation for the development of sports programs,
facilities, and events.
The athlete/builder
radiates a love and dedication to sport that encourages
the people who play at sports and also those who support sports
programs. They have
magnanimously been instrumental in providing better sporting opportunities
for the people of their community and often beyond those borders
to the Provincial,
National or International levels of organization and competition.
The
category of Athlete/Builder serves to formally recognize individuals
that would qualify under more than one category of sporting achievement.
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Inductee 2019 |
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 Blain Kjorlien
Blaine Kjorlien has always
had a passion for sports. He was born in Wetaskiwin and grew up
involved in a variety of community and school sports including hockey,
fastball, football and wrestling. It wasn’t until high school and
university that Blaine really excelled as an athlete. He gained renown
and success in both football and wrestling at Camrose Lutheran College
and in wrestling at the University of Alberta. Blaine's passion for
sport continued into his teaching career where he was a successful and
influential coach in football and wrestling at Wetaskiwin Composite High
School. Because of his impressive athletic and coaching accomplishments Blaine is indeed worthy of
this induction.
Full Story |
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Inductees 2016 |
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 Phyllis
and Bob Cleland
Phyllis
and Bob Cleland have been competitive sports enthusiasts all of
their lives, but their
most rewarding experiences came from involving
youngsters in sporting activities at the community
level. Individually, they represented the City and
County of Wetaskiwin as impressive competitors for over
fifty years. Teamed as a couple for over forty of
those years their selfless dedication to the youth of
our sporting community has been exemplified by their
organizing and coaching ball and curling teams, leading
our youth to competitive success, building ball diamonds
and teams that endure today, and volunteering in
administrative capacities.
Full Story
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Inductee 2015 |
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 Ken
Nelson
Ken Nelson,
a recognized pioneer
in the Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada Hall of Fame, has been a world
class competitor for close to forty years, winning over seventy
medals in major championships. He is a dreamer, innovator,
designer and builder. He founded Shalom Park,
described by athletes as
one of the top ten water ski sites in the world,
his youth programs, boat driver clinics and military "Honour Day" have
made the sport more accessible to a wider group of water sport
enthusiasts, and his ground-breaking designs have had an influence on
the sport round the world being incorporated into international
competitions.
Full Story
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Inductee 2014 |
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 Elvin Kopp
In 1981 Elvin Kopp married his wife Jan and they settled at their newly
purchased “That’ll Do Ranch” near Westerose Alberta. Raising cattle was
one of their ventures and after time Elvin decided that he would like to
have some help dealing with his cattle. Consequently, a year after he
started his life as a rancher Elvin attended a dog training clinic
(1982). When he saw what a stockdog could do he was “hooked”. He
bought a Border Collie pup at the clinic and started training his protege. In 1984, two years later, Elvin entered his first competition
and three years after that (1987) he was the World Sheepdog Champion, a
meteoric rise to the top. During his time competing, Elvin trained
eleven different dogs to championships.
Full Story |
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Inductees 2013
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 Ross
MacEachern
Born and raised in Wetaskiwin, from an
early age Ross participated and excelled in community and school sports
including hockey, ball, football, basketball and curling. At University
Ross played hockey and football for the University of Alberta Golden
Bears. He continued his participation in sports into adulthood by
playing Senior Hockey and ball. After graduating in 1964 from the
University of Alberta, Ross started his thirty-two year lifework as a
physical education teacher, sharing his expertise and
enthusiasm by coaching young people and becoming involved in the
administrative aspects of amateur sport. Ross’s hockey playing career spanned forty-eight years
(1948-1996)...
Full Story
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 Al Sandahl
Al
Sandahl played football and basketball and participated in track
but football was what he pursued. After a successful
football career at the Junior and College levels, Al became involved in
coaching. He spent 34 years coaching football, basketball and
track at high schools and colleges in the USA as well as spending one
year coaching in the NFL. Al successfully coached many individuals
in high school and college who were able to receive scholarships or NFL
or CFL contracts. Many of the teams where Al was a member of the
coaching staff were conference champions, involved in state
championships, or “Bowl” champions.
Full Story
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Inductees 2009
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 Jerry
Greene
Jerry was a dominant force on the Colonels Hockey team -
named League All-Star Defenseman five consecutive times,
voted the League’s Most Valuable player, and a team leader
serving as captain for eleven years. Described
as the
“Home Town Hero” who embodies the true essence of sport in Wetaskiwin,
Jerry played or coached eighteen championship teams in
hockey and fastball and was also a driving force in the
administration and organization of those same sports -
president, manager, fundraiser
to name a few.
Full Story |
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 Ron
Emmerling
As an athlete Ron Emmerling was an avid golfer, curler,
downhill skier, bowler and badminton player. He
focused on hockey and ball, even catching a game for the
“legend”, Satchel Paige. Behind the bench his coaching
skills helped win several championships. Beyond the
bench he contributed immensely to sports in Wetaskiwin as
an organizer and instructor of hockey schools that
benefitted many players and coaches, many from other
communities. He worked behind the scenes on various
committees that influenced sport both in the community and
in Alberta.
Full Story |
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Inductee 2007
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J. Wilton Littlechild
Willie has been involved in
sports all his life as a player and administrator at the
local, university, and global level. Throughout
his career as an athlete and builder he has strived to
create opportunities for youth to improve their self
esteem and realize their potential through sport. Beyond
his community his contributions on the international
stage have benefited the global community. One of
Willie’s greatest achievements is co-founding the North
American Indigenous Games. Besides athletic
recognition worldwide, Willie has been awarded the
Order of Canada, the American Medal of Honor and been
named one of the 2000
outstanding intellectuals of the 21st Century.
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