January 30, 2025
Paris Paralympic bronze medallist Shelby Newkirk and Olympic bronze medallist Rylan Wiens were named Female and Male Athlete of the Year at the 40th Annual Saskatchewan Sport Awards.
The two were announced as recipients for the awards on Jan. 30 at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. At the event, six recipients were named in Excellence Awards categories, while eight devoted individuals were honoured in either the Coach Dedication, Volunteer Dedication or Inspire Through Sport categories.
Newkirk swam to bronze at the 2024 Paralympic Games in the S6 100-metre backstroke event, later breaking a world record in the S6 50-m backstroke, while also claiming 11 medals across international and national events. Wiens claimed Canada’s first-ever medal in the men’s 10-metre synchronized platform event at the Olympic Games, while finishing seventh in the individual event and capturing a pair of silver medals at the World Cup.
In the Youth Athlete of the Year categories, two-time international gold medallist Kash Tarasoff won in the male category, while youth world record breaker, Etta Love is the recipient of the female category of the award. Love is the first woman in Canada to hold an Olympic weightlifting world record and earned various other medals at national and international events. Tarasoff was a Saskatchewan record breaker at the Junior Elite National Championships, earning perfect 10s on three dives while securing top of the podium.
For the third time in fours years, Mary Carroll was named Coach of the Year after leading two of her athletes to the Olympic Games in Paris, with one making Canadian history in the men’s 10-metre synchronized event by claiming bronze. She was one of two Team Canada coaches at the Games and received a 2024 Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Award in recognition of her work.
The event also honoured Recognition Awards recipients, including Carla Nicholls (athletics), David Calam (lawn bowling) and Denise Fernandez (tennis), who were handed Coach Dedication Awards for their tireless committed to bettering sport in Saskatchewan.
A replay of the event can be found on YouTube.