With a half-century of coaching experience, Christine Laverty has a superb track record when it comes to her positive impact on athletes in Calgary and across the country. Read More
Legendary track-and-field leader named city club’s Sportsperson of the Year
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Legendary track-and-field leader named city club’s Sportsperson of the Year
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With a half-century of coaching experience, Christine Laverty has a superb track record when it comes to her positive impact on athletes in Calgary and across the country.
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On Thursday, she was the one feeling the warm fuzzies, as the legendary track-and-field coach was celebrated among the Calgary Booster Club’s annual award winners.
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Laverty, once an inspiring rower and a top-scoring soccer player, to boot, was named the 2024 Sportsperson of the Year — the club’s most prestigious award — for her work with athletic stars.
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“I was quite surprised to be nominated for this award,” Laverty said. “I coach because I love coaching — not because there was ever a tangible reward at the end of it. I’m so honoured. I can’t believe the Calgary Booster Club choose me.
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“Young people keep you young,” continued Laverty, when asked about how her constant passion for coaching. “It’s a one-on-one thing, but still I make it a team sport. So they’re all there to support each other.
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“As long as they’re having fun, I’m having fun. And that’s what motivates me.”
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WHO ARE THE 2024 WINNERS?
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• Sportsperson of the Year — Christine Laverty, former Athletics Alberta Coach of the Year
• Henry Viney Trophy (Female) — Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski, rowing
• Scott-Mamini Memorial Award (Male) — Tobias Warschewski, soccer
• Jack Gregory Award Winner (Special Olympics) – Madison Cyr, alpine skiing
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SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR — CHRISTINE LAVERTY
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After competing in track and field in Quebec, Laverty went into coaching, where she mentored high school students in track, soccer, volleyball and basketball in both Quebec and Ontario. She was the track meet director of the Greater Montreal Interscholastic Athletic Association from 1976 through 1987.
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A move to Alberta resulted in Laverty focusing her efforts on working with young track athletes. She held several coaching positions over the years, including the head coach of the Royal Canadian Legion’s Alberta provincial team in the early 2000s. Laverty was named the Athletics Alberta Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2006. In 2012, she was named an Honored Athletic Leader by the Calgary Booster Club. That same year, Athletics Alberta recognized her as their Volunteer of the Year.
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On the national stage, Laverty has been Team Canada’s distance coach for the World Youth Championships; the World Cross Country Championships; the World Junior Championships; and the Commonwealth Youth Games. She also worked at the Commonwealth Youth Games as the head coach. Laverty served as the chair for the Canadian National Championships, as well. She remains an active leader with Athletics Alberta and Calgary Track and Field.
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“Christine Laverty’s coaching experiences with Calgary Track West, Calgary Track and Field, and the Calgary Spartans have not only elevated individual athletes but have also positively impacted the broader track and field community in Calgary,” said Jason Lindsay, senior coach with Calgary Track & Field. “Her ability to mentor and develop athletes who have gone on to achieve great success on the international stage is a testament to her exceptional coaching abilities.”
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Recent winners of this award include Pat Jarvis, Greg Peterson, Ron Logan, Don Young and Lawrence King.
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HENRY VINEY TROPHY — KASIA GRUCHALLA-WESIERSKI
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Kasia Gruchalla-Wesierski grew up as a competitive alpine skier, but a broken leg ended her career and she thought she lost her chance at becoming a high-performance athlete.
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However, a second chance came when she found rowing.
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Because of her age, she missed competing at the U23 level, and instead debuted with the senior national team at the 2018 World Cup in Lucerne, Switzerland as a member of the four. In 2019, Gruchalla-Wesierski joined the crew of the eight for a pair of World Cups, earning her first podium appearance in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. In her debut at the World Rowing Championships, she helped the eight to a fourth-place finish, qualifying the boat for the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2020. Just over a month before Kasia was set to make her Olympic debut at Tokyo, she was involved in a bike crash that resulted in a broken collarbone, a bruised hip, and 56 stitches.
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With a lot of hard work and support from her teammates, she recovered to take her spot on the eight-person team, where she was part of Canada’s first Olympic gold win in any women’s rowing event since Atlanta in 1996. It was also the first gold in the women’s eight since Barcelona 1992.
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Since 2020, Gruchalla-Wesierski has remained a fixture in Canada’s women’s eight, helping to bring home a bronze medal from the 2022 World Rowing Championships, silver from the 2023 World Rowing Cup III, and a gold from the 2024 World Rowing Cup II. She added to her medal haul at the Paris Olympics in 2024 by claiming silver in the coxed eight women’s rowing event.
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Other nominees for the award were …
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• Piper Logan, Rugby
• Sienna MacDonald, Track & Field
• Isabelle Weidemann, Speed Skating
• Ingrid Wilm, Swimming
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Recent winners of the Calgary Booster Club’s Female Athlete of the Year award include Alexandria Loutitt, Isabelle Weidemann, Stephanie Labbe, Caeli McKay and Alex Gough.
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SCOTT-MAMINI MEMORIAL AWARD — TOBIAS WARSCHEWSKI
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Born in Dortmund, Germany, Cavalry FC’s Tobias Warschewski began his youth career with German clubs Eintracht Dortmund and Preußen Münster, with which he began his senior career before making a move to Canada.
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In 2021, Warschewski joined Canadian Premier League in Edmonton where he contributed on average, a goal involvement every second match. He scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists in 49 appearances for the northern Alberta side, including a memorable last-minute bicycle kick against Valour FC that secured a draw in the 2022 season.
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Warschewski has earned a reputation for his ability to change a game in any competition with his innate goal-scoring threat. The forward has netted 16 goals in 33 appearances across all competitions since joining Cavalry in 2024.
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Warschewski came out on top of a tight race for the CPL’s 2024 Golden Boot award, honouring the league’s top scorer, after contributing 12 goals in 24 league appearances. He captured the award in style, netting two goals against Valour FC on the final day of the regular season to beat out a handful of league counterparts who were still in contention for the award heading into the matchday. Warschewski then opened the scoring in Cavalry’s 2024 CPL Final win against Forge FC last November and was subsequently named the first-ever CPL Final MVP after the Cavs clinched the North Star Cup as CPL champions for the first time in club history.
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Other nominees for the award were …
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• Nate Beauchemin, Football
• Ted-Jan Bloeden, Speed Skating
• Connor Bouchard, Hockey
• Stefan Daniel, Para Triathlon
• Wes Heffernan, Golf
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Recent winners of the Calgary Booster Club’s Male Athlete of the Year award include Dustin Wolf, Cale Makar, Riley Fleming, Mark Giordano and Justin Kripps.
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JACK GREGORY AWARD WINNER — MADISON CYR
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Cyr has been involved with Special Olympics Calgary for seven years and has proven to be a strong skier, modest athlete and supportive teammate in that time. Her primary sport is alpine skiing, but she’s recently started competing in athletics and softball.
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At the 2023 provincial games, she captured two gold medals in skiing despite suffering a fractured knee cap after she was knocked over by the chair lift. Her strong showing allowed Cyr to be selected to Team Alberta for the 2024 National Winter Games, where she added another two medals (one gold in slalom and one silver in giant slalom) to her trophy case. She attained her goal of making Canada’s national team that competed at the 2025 Special Olympics World Winter Games, which took place in Turin, Italy in March. She posted a fourth overall finish at those games.
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Through it all, Cyr has been dedicated to her training, she’s overcome adversity, she has gained confidence, and she’s always got a smile on her face.
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WHO ARE THE HONOURED ATHLETIC LEADERS?
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The Calgary Booster Club recognizes individuals with established track records of dedication to the sporting landscape as Honoured Athletic Leaders. Winners have demonstrated long service — typically more than 15 years — and made contributions in a volunteer or administrative or athletic capacity.
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This year’s difference-makers, sport promoters and tireless influencers are …
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ALLAN NAYLOR
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Naylor has been recognized as a hard-working leader for his efforts in looking after the equipment needs of football teams across Alberta. He’s been described as a hidden gem of Calgary’s sports scene due to his decades of service.
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CRAIG REARDON
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Having held numerous titles and volunteer roles for local football associations, Reardon has earned an excellent reputation for growing and developing youth football. His work with the Calgary Bantam Football Association, Calgary Spring Football Association, Greater Calgary Amateur Football Association, Calgary Wildcats Football Club and Calgary Minor Football Charity Jamboree has been invaluable.
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DR. DAVID LEGG
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Legg has been highly influential across several sports for over 25 years. He is a promoter of athletics through international conferences, workshops and presentations, as well as a dedicated volunteer, educator and adviser. The former president of the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity has engaged in thoughtful discourse regarding disability sports and inclusion that has had a global impact.
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DENNIS HOLOWAYCHUK
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Holowaychuk embodies the spirit of leadership and mentorship while possessing a tenacious belief in others. Most importantly, the founder of the football program at Rundle Academy made football fun. He’s been an encouraging presence to countless students as both an educator and a coach.
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GREG WILSON
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A long-time football coach, Wilson has instructed several different age groups and organized a number of exhibition and tournament events. Wilson has been instrumental in establishing female minor football in Calgary.
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KYLE SHEWFELT
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Shewfelt is a proud Calgarian who began his journey in gymnastics at the age of six. He persevered in the sport to become Canada’s most successful male gymnast, competing in three Olympic Games, as well as multiple world championships and Commonwealth Games. The Olympic gold medalist inspired after he broke both his legs on a bad landing in 2007 but recovered in time to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Games. Shewfelt remains active in the sports community as a KidSport Calgary ambassador, as an Olympic broadcaster and through Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics.
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TIM FRIESEN
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Friesen has been a dedicated coach of several sports, including ultimate frisbee, soccer, lacrosse and ball hockey. He has taken on leadership roles for several national championship events and helped lay the foundation for the first Alberta provincial ultimate frisbee tournament in 2017. Friesen has built from the grassroots and is dedicated to creating opportunities for youth athletes.
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All award winners will be officially recognized on Sunday, April 27, at the Calgary Booster Club’s 71st annual gala. Tickets for the reception at the Grey Eagle Resort and Casino are available at calgaryboosterclub.com.
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The Calgary Booster Club has celebrated athletic excellence and community leadership since 1952.
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