Image Credit: FACEBOOK:Shanda Hill Ultra Athlete
June 24, 2020 - 12:34 PM
Vernon resident and ultra-triathlete Shanda Hill has been crowned the 2020 Tim Hortons North Okanagan Athlete of the Year.
In November 2019 Hill became the first Canadian to complete a Double Deca race, which is the equivalent of 20 Ironmans in a row.
Hill was awarded the top prize at a smaller than usual award ceremony held outside Vernon City Hall June 23.
Over the course of 26 days, Hill ran 844 kilometres, swam 76 km, and cycled 3,600 km to become the first Canadian to complete the world's longest race held in Mexico last fall.
A panel of sports and media judges selected Hall for the top individual athlete spot.
The Vernon Christian Senior Boys volleyball team took the 2020 Tim Hortons North Okanagan Team of the Year award. The team had two successful seasons winning the ‘A’ provincial championship in both 2018 and 2019.
The Leadership in Sports award went to Carl Vardon in recognition of his work raising the profile of baseball in the North Okanagan. According to a media release, Vardon has spent 14 years on the executive of the Vernon and District Baseball Association and has been coaching for 18 years. During this time he's built dugouts at Lakeview Park and resurfaced and built Creekside Fields.
Paralympic curler Sonya Gaudet was also recognized at the ceremony and is a past winner of the North Okanagan Athlete of the Year award. Gaudet has been inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame 2020–2021, as is Canada's most decorated para-curler, winning gold at three Paralympic Games and three World Championships.
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