Misty Thomas Named In Her Footsteps Honoree

Congratulations to Misty Thomas, the former BC Provincial player, Paralympian, and Olympian! Misty was named In Her Footsteps Honoree and its award ceremony was held last night, October 27th, 2011at the SFU Segal Graduate School of Business.

See the full story from the ProMOTION Plus website.

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CELEBRATING INSPIRATIONAL WOMEN AND THEIR CONTINUOUS DEDICATION
TO SPORT, HEALTH AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

RICHMOND, June 9, 2011— ProMOTION Plus is pleased to announce the three inspirational honourees of the In Her Footsteps…Celebrating BC Women in Sport event. The event will be held on October 27, 2011 to recognize Vale Savege, Misty Thomas and Gail Wilson for their tremendous success and positive influence on girls and women in sport.

In Her Footsteps is an annual recognition program. It honours women who are or have been athletes, coaches, officials, judges, pioneers or advocates who have made significant contributions to girls and women in sport. These women have created opportunities for participation in sport and recreation in British Columbia, inspiring others through their own athletic achievement, passion and dedication. Their stories are featured in the In Her Footsteps exhibit at the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

Vale has made a significant contribution to sport in BC, Canada and beyond. As a multi-sport athlete who achieved a high standard of athletic excellence, Vale was a member of both the Canadian National Volleyball and Basketball Programs. She was co-founder of the Women’s Volleyball program at Simon Fraser University, as well as the first woman to officiate an International volleyball match in Japan. Vale’s willingness to lead and mentor has empowered those around her to become leaders and advocates for athletes and sport in our province and in our country.

Misty Thomas is also a great contributor to the world of sport through her involvement in basketball, volleyball, badminton and track and field. She was the youngest player on the fourth-place Canadian women's basketball team in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Misty retired from competitive stand-up basketball in 1992 after playing professionally in Italy for a year and on the Canadian National team for four years. In 1998, at 34, the former point guard became the youngest individual inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame. She began playing wheelchair basketball in 2005. As a coach, Misty guided the UBC Women’s Basketball team to their first Canada West title in 20 years. She was named Coach of the Year in 1994/95. Among her many accomplishments, Misty was a founding member and the director of the Night Hoops Basketball Program in Vancouver, a program for high risk teenagers.

Gail Wilson is a highly respected athlete and coach, and is recognized for her dedication and success in women’s field hockey at UBC and for the Canadian National Team as an assistant coach. Gail joined the UBC Field Hockey coaching staff in 1977 and continued on for 16 seasons. She executed one of the most successful recruiting and coaching careers in UBC history, guiding UBC to seven Canada West titles and five CIS National Championships. In 1993, she was inducted into the University of Toronto's Sports Hall of Fame for her outstanding ability in field hockey, ice hockey and swimming, and in 1995, the first CIS Gail Wilson Award was awarded to an athlete demonstrating exceptional human qualities, commitment, and loyalty to the team both on and off the playing field.

IN HER FOOTSTEPS… is an annual recognition program organized jointly by the ProMOTION Plus, BC Sports Hall of Fame, 2010 Legacies Now, and the BC Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health, organizations, that promote girls and women in sport and physical activity.

For more information on IN HER FOOTSTEPS . . . CELEBRATING BC WOMEN IN SPORT, contact:
Christine Bradstock
Executive Director
ProMOTION Plus
(604) 333-3477
cbradstock@promotionplus.org