ONPARA Accepting Nominations for 2019 Ken Thom Memorial Coaching Award
Nomination period now open for inaugural Ken Thom Memorial Coaching Award
On September 24, 2017, the Ontario Para Network lost its President, Ken Thom. Ken was a passionate, dedicated, and committed leader in the adaptive sports community, and a tireless advocate for athletes with disabilities and their families. Although Ken excelled as a high performance wheelchair athletics coach, it was his infectious positive attitude that motivated athletes to excel on and off the track. Ken’s athletes also learned lessons in sportsmanship and the importance of giving back to the community.
To honour the memory and contributions of our former president and a long-time wheelchair athletics coach, the Ontario Para Network established the Ken Thom Memorial Coaching Award in November 2018 – an award to be presented annually during National Coaches Week to an adaptive sports coach in Ontario who embodies the passion, knowledge and skills that made Ken such a cherished member of the ONPARA organization.
It is with great honour that we currently seek nominations for the inaugural Ken Thom Memorial Coaching Award.
Individuals can nominate a deserving coach by simply completing and submitting the nomination form electronically prior to August 31, 2019. The award recipient will be announced during National Coaches Week from September 21-29, 2019 and will be awarded $250.
Nomination forms, eligibility criteria, and other details about the award can be found on the ‘Ken Thom Memorial Coaching Award’ page on the ONPARA website.
Inquiries can be directed to Laura Wilson, ONPARA Executive Director, at laura@onpara.ca or 416-426-7189.
About the Ontario Para Network
Formerly known as the Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association, our mission at the Ontario Para Network (ONPARA) is together with our partners, to grow awareness and opportunities for adaptive sports in Ontario. As the governing body for three wheelchair sports in the province, we strive to increase opportunities for individuals with disabilities to participate in wheelchair athletics, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair tennis at recreational, competitive, and high performance levels.