Lethbridge Sport Council announces award winners

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on March 15, 2022.

Herald photo by Al Beeber Payden Vair talks to media Monday. Vair is the Lethbridge Sport Council Achievement Award winner for athlete with a disability. The former Kodiaks soccer player competed for Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

For Payden Vair, being announced as a 2021 Lethbridge Sport Council Award winner is an honour.
Vair, a Cardston resident and former Lethbridge College Kodiaks soccer player, was one of 17 people, teams and organizations the sport council recognized on Monday.
Vair was named the Athlete with a Disability winner.
Vair, who lost part of her right leg in an accident, represented Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games on the national sitting volleyball team, a squad which won bronze at that event.
In 2019, she was on Canada’s Parapan Games team that competed in Peru.
“It is such an honour to even be recognized….I’m so grateful for everyone that nominated me and I’m just so thankful that I was able to go to the Paralympics last year and compete for Canada. It was such a great experience and I’m so thankful for it,” Vair said Monday after the winners were announced.
After two years of virtual ceremonies because of COVID-19 restrictions, winners will be feted April 5 in the Canadian Western Bank Lounge at the Enmax Centre. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the event at 7. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for youth and are available online at https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/events/achievement-awards. The ceremony is open to the public.
“Training in the pandemic was a trial on its own. We had to adjust a lot of things but being a paralympic athlete and one with a disability, that’s something we’re used to. We have to adapt to so many things in our lives so it was just another stepping stone for me. I knew what I had to do to compete at that next level and once we made it to Tokyo, it was such an experience all on its own. I was so excited to be in that arena with my team,” said Vair.
Sport council executive director Susan Eymann said after the awards were announced “it’s always wonderful getting the sport community together and celebrating all aspects of what makes sport tick in the community.
In addition to athletes, “there are so many more behind the scenes and so for us, it’s just an honour to recognize and celebrate everybody,” Eymann said.
“It’s such an exciting time of year to go through all the nominations and selection jury always has such a challenging time selecting the winner because there are so many people to recognize, Eymann said.
This year’s winners include individuals, teams and organizations.
They are:
Junior Male Athlete – Jacob Sargent
Junior Female Athlete – Mikka Eaves
Senior Male Athlete – Apollo Hess
Senior Female Athlete – Jillian Weir
Master Athlete – Deirdre Coburn
Athlete with a Disability – Payden Vair
Amateur Team – Lethbridge Little League 2021 – Minor AAA All-Star team
Coaching Excellence – Community – Nancy Sherman
Coaching Excellence – High Performance – Larry Steinke
Volunteer in Sport – Kelsey Prenevost
Sport Administrator – Kirk Mearns
Sport Organization – Lethbridge Curling Club
Business and Sport Excellence – Kasko Cattle Co.
Dr. Gary Bowie Sport Event Excellence – Lost Soul Ultra
Shaun Ward Sport Champion – Brad Dersch
Servus Credit Union Outstanding Sport Citizen- Keegan Brantner
Knud Petersen Spirit in Sport – Paige Crozon

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