OTTAWA – Media personality Scott Russell, snowboarder Liam Gill, para-cyclist Nathan Clement, artistic gymnast Ellie Black, trampoline gymnast Rosie MacLennan, hockey player and child abuse prevention advocate Sheldon Kennedy, journalist Morgan Campbell, The Malaviya Foundation, and judo Olympian Christa Deguchi were honoured on Monday, December 2nd, as AthletesCAN – the association of Canada’s national team athletes – celebrated the 47th Canadian Sport Awards.
Russell was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award, recognizing his nearly 40 years of work covering Team Canada at CBC Sports. Gill was honoured with the AthletesCAN Social Responsibility Award, and Clement took home the Game Plan Champion Award. Black received the True Sport Award, while MacLennan was recognized with the #AthleteVoice Award as Rep of the Year, and Kennedy earned the Bruce Kidd Leadership Award. Campbell won the Randy Starkman Award for Leadership in Sports Journalism presented by the Toronto Star, and The Malaviya Foundation won the inaugural Athlete Support Award. Finally, Deguchi was awarded this year’s People’s Choice Award for Most Trending Moment of the Year presented by Respect Group, a headversity Company.
Gill, MacLennan, and Deguchi were unable to attend in person and accepted their awards virtually.
The celebration of trailblazers, athlete-centred accomplishments, and initiatives was hosted by Brittany Maclean of CBC Sports at the Infinity Convention Centre in Ottawa. The event was attended by Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, and The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Physical Activity. The awards served as the kickoff to the Game Plan Summit and Team Canada Celebration. The event was made possible by the support of Game Plan and Sport Canada.
Biographies of the Winners of the 47th Canadian Sport Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award – Scott Russell
For nearly 40 years, Scott Russell was synonymous with Team Canada and CBC Sports. Scott’s broadcasting career spanned 17 Olympics (including six as host), six Pan Am Games, six Commonwealth Games, two FIFA Men’s World Cups, and two FIFA Women’s World Cups. Scott’s enthusiasm for Team Canada athletes extended beyond his job. He has served as a member of the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Education Committee, an honorary board member of the Paralympic Foundation of Canada, and on the Advisory Panel for the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.
AthletesCAN Social Responsibility Award – Liam Gill, Snowboard
Liam, a halfpipe snowboarder from the Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation, runs Liam & Friends, a project that helps alleviate financial barriers to snowboarding for children from his community. In addition to providing Olympic-level tutorials on snowboarding skills, Liam builds meaningful connections with every child who participates, helping them celebrate and grow their connections to their Indigenous culture.
Game Plan Champion Award – Nathan Clement, Para-Cycling
This award celebrates an athlete who fully embraces Game Plan and benefits from its programs, services, and resources. Nathan retired from para-swimming in 2018 and used Game Plan resources to transition into his post-sport career before returning to competition as a para-cyclist in 2022.
True Sport Award – Ellie Black, Artistic Gymnastics
Ellie demonstrated the True Sport values of Respect for Others and Keeping it Fun when she and teammate Shallon Olsen consoled French gymnast Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos after a tough qualification round. Her support for her fellow competitor highlighted how sport is about more than just results.
#AthleteVoice Award: Rep of the Year – Rosie MacLennan, Trampoline Gymnastics
For eight years, Rosie has been a leading voice for athletes in the Canadian sport system. As the COC Athletes’ Commission Chair, she helped strengthen athlete representation, demonstrating devotion, passion, and work ethic.
Bruce Kidd Leadership Award – Sheldon Kennedy
Sheldon is known for his courageous decision to report sexual abuse suffered during his junior hockey career. He has influenced policy changes, collaborated with governments, and established the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre and Respect Group, helping prevent abuse in sport, schools, and workplaces.
Randy Starkman Award for Leadership in Sports Journalism – Morgan Campbell, CBC
A senior contributor at CBC, Morgan covers race, sport, and the intersection of social issues with nuance, passion, and humour.
Athlete Support Award – The Malaviya Foundation
In 2024, the Malaviya Foundation donated $4 million to the Paralympic Foundation of Canada, supporting equal financial recognition for Paralympic medalists. The foundation also contributed $1.5 million through the Team Canada Podium Awards and funded Next Generation Initiatives.
People’s Choice Award for Most Trending Moment of the Year – Christa Deguchi, Judo
After missing qualification for Tokyo 2020, Christa persevered and won gold in the women’s 57kg event, becoming Canada’s first Olympic champion in judo.
About AthletesCAN
AthletesCAN is the association of Canada’s national team athletes. As the voice of over 6,000 current and retired athletes across 68 sports, AthletesCAN ensures an athlete-centred sport system, providing leadership, policy influence, and educational resources.
Follow the #AthleteVoice on social media: @AthletesCAN
For more information, please contact:
Alicia Renaud-Paquin
Manager, Athlete Relations & Marketing
AthletesCAN
Phone: 613-526-4025 Ext. 224
Email: arenaudpaquin@athletescan.ca