Well-earned recognition for Smallwood, Walsh, and Special Olympics Team Canada 2019 coaches

We are so pleased to congratulate deserving Special Olympics BC volunteers who have been recently recognized with significant awards in their communities.

  • Randy Smallwood with Special Olympics Team BC 2016
    Randy Smallwood serving as Special Olympics Team BC 2016 Honorary General Manager and presenting a medal to Eric Bruneau.
    SOBC Board of Directors Vice Chair Randy Smallwood, the President & CEO of Wheaton Precious Metals, won the 2019 Business in Vancouver BC CEO Award in the Enterprise Company Category!
  • The dedicated Special Olympics Team Canada 2019 coaches were honoured with Coaching Association of Canada Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Awards, which recognize coaches whose athletes have excelled at world championships, Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Special Olympics World Games!
  • SOBC – Dawson Creek and Team BC coach Jack Walsh is the Dawson Creek Athletic Association’s Coach of the Year! 
  • Special Olympics BC – Dawson Creek bowling coach Jack Walsh is a leading expert in our province’s 5-pin bowling community, and has coached athletes to outstanding performances at the 2017 and 2019 Special Olympics BC Games as well as the 2018 Special Olympics Canada Bowling Championships. In addition to his ongoing efforts coaching SOBC – Dawson Creek athletes, currently Walsh is a dedicated Special Olympics Team BC 2020 Training Squad coach. 

In November, the Dawson Creek Athletic Association presented Walsh with the Earl Johnson Memorial Award for Coach of the Year. The award, which was established in 1961, is annually presented to a leading community member who promotes coaching, and often recognizes longtime involvement.

Walsh says that it is "an honour and a privilege" to be part of Special Olympics Team BC, coaching these amazing athletes, and that Special Olympics athletes are "hardworking, dedicated, and team-oriented individuals with big goals and big hearts!"

Congratulations, Jack, and sincere thanks for all you do!

As a member of Special Olympics BC’s Board of Directors for seven years, Wheaton Precious Metals Corp. President & CEO Randy Smallwood has set an inspiring example by generously giving his time, expertise, and leadership to help ensure high-quality programs and opportunities for Special Olympics athletes throughout the province. Now SOBC’s Vice Chair, Randy continually helps open hearts and minds to the abilities of Special Olympics athletes.

Wheaton Precious Metals and Randy Smallwood make a big difference for Special Olympics BC. On November 13, he received the 2019 Business in Vancouver BC CEO Award in the Enterprise Company Category. Congratulations and thank you for all of your inspiring efforts on behalf of Special Olympics!

Outstanding volunteer coaches who helped Special Olympics Team Canada 2019 achieve greatness were celebrated as award winners at the Coaching Association of Canada’s annual Sport Leadership Conference. They won Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Awards, which recognize coaches whose athletes have excelled at world championships, Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Special Olympics World Games.

Sincere congratulations to this year’s deserving winners from Special Olympics BC:
? David Wilkinson of SOBC – Kelowna
? Tom Norton of SOBC – Abbotsford
? George Maclagan of SOBC – Campbell River
? Peter De Marchi of SOBC – Burnaby

We are so thankful for these dedicated coaches, and for the inspiring efforts of #SOTeamCanada19 golf caddies/coaches Misty Pagliaro of SOBC – Kimberley/Cranbrook and John Matthews of SOBC – Kelowna. Special Olympics Team Canada also benefitted from incredible leadership from mission staff Donna Bilous (SOBC Leadership Council Chair), Darren Inouye (SOBC Region 5 Coordinator), and Jean Tetarenko (SOBC Sport Coordinator).

Thank you all for making a difference throughout your communities, province, and country!

Read more about the achievements of B.C.’s members of Special Olympics Team Canada 2019

Read George Maclagan’s reflection on the “profound experience” at the World Games