Richmond Olympian Evan Dunfee has been named the recipient of the KidSport Community Champion Award of 2018.
The award will be presented at the Sport BC 52nd Annual Athlete of the Year awards on March 28at the Westin Bayshore Vancouver Hotel.
Sponsored by the Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers, the award is presented to the individual who has gone above and beyond in their service to KidSport in the past year. Past recipients include former B.C. Lions Tommy Europe and Paul McCallum, Olympians Kelsey Serwa and Mike Janyk and sport media personality Perry Solkowski.
Dunfee is one of the world’s top race walkers — specializing in the grueling 50km event, He burst into the national consciousness with his 4th place showing at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
His performance is remembered not for the Canadian record he shattered but rather for the Olympic values he stood for once the event was finished. A late race jostle with Hirooki Arai of Japan while in a fight for the bronze medal Dunfee stumbled.
Arai went on to win bronze but was disqualified shortly thereafter for the jostling. After a successful appeal put Arai back on the podium, Dunfee had the opportunity to counter protest but upon reflection decided that Arai’s actions hadn’t been intentional and therefore didn’t warrant having his bronze medal taken away.
In a statement after Dunfee said, "I will never allow myself to be defined by the accolades I receive, rather the integrity I carry through life”.
Off the track in 2017 the 27-year-old McNair graduate continued to showcase his Olympic values as a KidSport ambassador, volunteering his time whenever he could.
Dunfee knows the difference sport has made in his life and feels privileged to be able to give back at the grassroots to help ensure that every child be granted the same opportunity to grow and learn through sport as he did. He ended his 2017 season walking the Victoria marathon for Team Kidsport, raising $800 in the process.
Two others from Richmond have been named as finalists for individual awards.
Dakota Chan is in contention for Female High School Athlete of the Year. The Grade 12 McMath student is a multi-sport standout who will be continuing her soccer career at the University of Nebraska next fall. She is up against Jacqueline Lew (wrestling) and Katarina Vlanovic (Athletics).
Kajaks Track and Field head coach Garrett Collier is a finalist for Male Coach of the Year. Collier is also recognized for his work with B.C. Athletics and the UBC Thunderbirds.
