Canadian Military Recognizes Excellence in Sport: The 35th annual CAF sports awards ceremony
November 22, 2023 - Defence Stories
Caption
From left to right: Chief of the Defence Staff General Wayne Eyre, Warrant Officer Céline Picotin, Chief Warrant Officer Bob McCann.
Photo credit: Corporal Belinda Casse.
For the first time since 2019, the Canadian Armed Forces Sports Awards Ceremony had an in-person event on October 18, 2023, at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, ON. The night honoured athletic excellence in the Canadian military over the past year. Athletes, coaches, teams, and officials, both serving, and retired were recognized for their outstanding athletic performances or remarkable contributions to sport.
Among those recognized were Petty Officer, 2nd Class Katarzyna Danigier who took home Female Athlete of the Year, Lieutenant Michael-Lucien Bergeron as Male Athlete of the Year and a special presentation to this year’s posthumous recipient of the Canadian Armed Forces Hall of Fame Award, Retired Sergeant Ron Higgins.
“Thirty-five years of celebrating the best and brightest athletes to wear the uniform,” said General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff. “Your commitment to sports, while balancing the unique demands of military service is an inspiration to all of us. When our members are healthier and more resilient, so are we as a military organization."
For a full list of those honoured please visit CFMWS | CAF Sports Awards | CFMWS. Images from the ceremony can be viewed at https://www.facebook.com/CAFSports/.
Participation in CAF Sports helps to achieve operational readiness by developing attributes consistent with CAF requirements. As members of an armed force where readiness is paramount to operational success, physical fitness is a component of the military lifestyle that should never be overlooked. Not only does it contribute to the prevention and treatment of injury, but physical fitness also plays a major role in overall health and wellbeing. It is for that reason that sport is such an integral part of the military.
Personnel Support Programs, a division of Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services, develops and delivers leading edge occupational fitness, sports, and wellness programs and services to the Canadian Armed Forces.