For the seventh consecutive year, Richmond Gymnastics Association boys head coach Frank Szabo Jr. has been named winner of the John Tutte National Level Coach of the Year award.
Szabo was recognized at the Gymnastics B.C. annual awards banquet in Burnaby on Oct. 20. The award is presented to the highest ranked men's artistic coach based on the success of the club's national level athletes (Level 5-6, High Performance) throughout the season.
Some of the country's top male gymnasts train with Szabo at Richmond Gymnastics' Sportstown training facility. Among them are Jason Scott and Watson who were also recognized at the banquet as members of the men's national team. Two more of his athletes - Chris Kaji and Nicolas Bourne - were honoured for their spots on the junior national team.
Among the 75 other winners was Cartwheels Inc. which was named PLAY Club of the Year. Cartwheels has two locations in the Lower Mainland including on No. 2 Road in Steveston.
Other highlights included a standing ovation for Flicka Gymnastics member Brittany Rogers for her amazing comeback from injury. Rogers won the 2012 Kate Richardson Outstanding Athlete of the Year Award and was honoured for her contributions to Canada's history making Olympic gymnastics team.
Helga Ovington was honoured as a Life Member of the association for building Wings Gymnastics in Burnaby. Ovington was cited as a "Builder, Mentor and Leader" for building one of B.C.'s most successful and enduring gymnastics clubs.
Two Members of Distinction were honoured for their contributions. Nancy Beyer of Maple Ridge was recognized for her contributions to the development and growth of Gymnastics B.C.'s women's artistic gymnastics programs. She created the GYMSTART program which provides core fundamentals to gymnasts prior to beginning competition. Beyer was also the coach of 2000 Olympian Lise Leveille and continues to coach at Club Aviva (Coquitlam).
