I·SPARC Launches Nomination Process to Honour High-Achieving Indigenous Youth Athletes in B.C.
Traditional Territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples / Victoria, B.C. – In collaboration with the Province of British Columbia, the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Council (I·SPARC) launched the nomination process for the 2023 Premier’s Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport. The Premier’s Awards honours and uplifts Indigenous youth athletes who have achieved excellence in performance sport and are regarded for their leadership qualities both on and off the field of play.
Nominations are open (until Friday, November 24, 2023) to Indigenous youth (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit) in B.C. who are 24 years of age and younger (born 1999 or later), are a permanent resident of B.C., and enrolled in school or actively planning to pursue post-secondary education and who:
- Compete in performance sport
- Demonstrate strong leadership qualities
- Are committed to pursuing higher education
- Serve as community role models both on and off the field of play
- Are involved in cultural activities or show a desire to learn about their Indigenous ancestry
The Premier’s Awards are conducted regionally and provincially. A maximum of 36 athletes will be selected for the Regional Awards, up to 6 athletes within each of I·SPARC’s regions: Northeast, Northwest, Interior, Fraser, Vancouver Coastal, and Vancouver Island. Athletes selected for the Regional Awards will automatically serve as nominees for the Provincial Awards, with up to 10 Provincial Awards being given out.
Virtual Regional Award Ceremonies will be held in 2023 to honour the Regional Award recipients. A virtual Provincial Award Ceremony will be held in the spring of 2024 to honour the Provincial Award recipients. Provincial Award recipients will have their profile placed on display at the BC Sports Hall of Fame and will receive a cash bursary.
The most recent athletes in cycling to have received the award include Aeden Crocker (Penelakut Tribe) in Road & Track Cycling in 2019 and Holden Jones (Haisla Nation) for Mountain Bike Cross Country Olympic (XCO) in 2018.
The deadline to submit nominations is extended to Friday, November 24, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. (PST).
The Regional Nomination form can be found at https://isparcbc.wufoo.com/
To find out more about the Premier’s Awards, visit www.isparc.ca/premiersawards.
