Athlete of the Year recipients

Rising local stars, international standouts and high-performance competitors are among the recipients of Sask Sport Inc.’s 2018 Athlete of the Year Awards.

They include Kurt Oatway, a Paralympic gold medallist from Regina, and Shelby Newkirk, a para swimming world record holder from Saskatoon.

The recipients will be honoured Thursday night at the Saskatchewan Sport Awards in Saskatoon alongside eight other members of the province’s amateur sport community. Recipients for Coach Dedication, Coach of the Year, Official and Volunteer Awards were previously announced in March.

“Every year, the Saskatchewan Sport Awards celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of coaches, officials, volunteers and athletes and we are incredibly proud of our honorees, including the Athlete of the Year recipients and finalists who have represented Saskatchewan with distinction both at home and abroad,” said Leslie Blyth, Chair of Sask Sport’s Board of Directors.

“Their accomplishments go beyond gold medals and first-place finishes. Through hard work and dedication, each serves as inspiration for all future athletes who want to set goals, commit themselves to sport and pursue their dreams.”

And the recipients are …

This year’s award recipients join a long list of Athlete of the Year Award honorees:

Youth-Female Athlete of the Year

Savannah Sutherland

Borden

Athletics

Youth-Male Athlete of the Year

Daniel McCullough

Saskatoon

Kayaking

Female Athlete of the Year

Shelby Newkirk

Saskatoon

Para Swimming

Male Athlete of the Year

Kurt Oatway

Regina

Para Alpine Skiing

Team of the Year

Team Sask Under-19 Women

Regina

Water Polo

Master Athlete of the Year

Ted Rowan

Martensville

Athletics

Detailed information about the 2018 Saskatchewan Sport Awards, including biographies for all award recipients, is available at sasksport.sk.ca/SportAwards.