The City of Airdrie has announced the return of its Elite Athlete Awards after it was called off for two years during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The municipality is calling on residents to nominate first-class athletes in the community throughout 2022 as a way to recognize their “exceptional status” in their field with a display at Genesis Place Recreation Centre and an informal award ceremony that will be held this fall.
“We invite the mayor and council to unveil the plaque and show [the recipient] what it looks like and take pictures with the media,” said Kim Harris, a community developer with the City of Airdrie. “It’s very low-key, but also very rewarding, not only for the athletes, but their families.”
Harris said the 2022 Airdrie Elite Athlete Awards aims to recognize athletes who are leading the way in “athletic excellence” in their community.
She added Airdrie is home to many talented athletes who compete nationally and internationally, in doing so repping their hometown, province, and country in competitions across the globe. The most recent award recipients, from 2019, were BMX athletes James Brown and Chase Kelln.
“The Elite Athlete program gives us an opportunity to recognize their accomplishments,” she said. “We are encouraging people to come forward and nominate people and teams who are achieving athletic excellence and giving back to our community.”
Harris said a nominee will be selected if they meet specific criteria to move on to the next round of selection where the chosen recipients will be presented to the Community Services Advisory Board (CSAB) and City council for final approval.
From there, she said plaques will be made and each athlete will be recognized for their achievements, regardless of the number of applicants who are received.
She said the award recognizes local go-getters and that the growth of sports in Airdrie starts at a grassroots level by recognizing the athletes who inspire local kids to pursue their athletic dreams.
“These athletes grow up here, volunteer here, and [they] practice on the same days and go to the same competitions as kids that are just starting out,” she said. “[Kids] get to see them every day and see what their achievements are.
“That’s what keeps them in sport and that’s what drives them to be like them or do better. A lot of times, these athletes become their coaches.”
According to Harris, the City developed the Elite Athlete program after discovering many local sports groups boasted “high-quality, elite” athletes.
“We wanted to recognize them much like other municipalities do and so we did research, benchmarking and made a policy around the elite athletes,” Harris said, estimating the program was first passed by council approximately 10 years ago.
She said the program’s selection criteria matches what other muncipalities have implemented. Nominees must have been a resident of Airdrie for a minimum of three years and have made significant contributions to their community.
“It’s one thing just to be an athlete, but it’s another thing if you pass on some of that talent either through coaching or volunteering throughout the community,” she said.
Elite Athletes must also have reached an exceptional level of athletic achievement at a sanctioned national or international competition, or set national or international records, or achieved national or international titles while competing.
Team nominations require a minimum of 50 per cent of its members to reside in Airdrie.
Residents may nominate an Elite Athlete or team by filling out the online application form.
More information about the 2022 Elite Athlete Awards program can be found at airdrie.ca/eliteathlete
