Winning Athlete of the Year awards is an achievement but being named winners in the very first year is something special. A panel of anonymous judges made the selection from nominations received from the public.
Sam Brown will recieve the Male Athlete Award during the Rotary Club’s Celebration of Excellence presented by Canalta on Saturday, June 6 at the Badlands Community Facility. A student at the Drumheller Valley Secondary School, Brown started the year by participating in cross country and winning the right to compete at the Provincial Cross Country Meet in October. He was one of the starters on the varsity DVSS high school basketball team, receiving an All Star award at the Strathmore Basketball Tournament. He also advanced to the Zone Level Badminton Tourney and is currently participating on the DVSS Track and Field Team and last year competed in the provincial 3000 m race. He competes in marathons and consistently finished in the top ten of his age category. Sam also participates in distance triathlons that involve a 1500 m swim, a 40 km bike ride and a 10 km run.
Carmanah Olbrich is Drumheller’s Female Athlete of the Year. This 15-year-old is keenly involved in soccer, cross country running, volleyball and badminton. She helps coach younger children learning the game of soccer and recently completed a course to become a referee. Carmanah is a member of the Alpine Club of Canada. Her feats in the past two years include climbing three mountains - Abbot Pass (9598 feet), the Tower of Babe (7290 feet) and the Middle Sister in Banff (9086 feet).
The Athlete of the Year awards will be presented June 6, commencing at 5:30 pm. Tickets may be picked up at SJ Fashions, or by calling Helen Peers at 403-823-3578.
