Hay River biathlete Brendan Green, who represented Canada at three straight Winter Olympics, will be inducted into the NWT Sport Hall of Fame this month.
Sport North, which administers the hall of fame, announced Green’s induction this week.
“The North will always be home and the support I’ve received throughout my entire athletic career from the North has been absolutely incredible,” Green told Cabin Radio. “To receive this honour is very special.”
The induction ceremony will take place at Yellowknife’s Chateau Nova Hotel from 8pm on Friday, May 23.
Green retired from international competition in 2019 at the age of 32, having represented Canada for the past 14 years.
According to International Biathlon Union statistics, he made 198 World Cup starts. His career included a 2016 World Championship bronze medal with the Canadian relay team.
He will be the first inductee to the NWT Sport Hall of Fame since 2019 and the 13th athlete to be admitted. Eleven builders and six teams have also been recognized since the hall of fame was created in 2012.
Green and his wife Rosanna Crawford (also a three-time Olympian in biathlon) now live in Canmore, the site of his last-ever World Cup race. He works as an ultrasound technician in Calgary, having gone back to school after ending his biathlon career.
“I actually did work for a year at the Yellowknife Stanton Hospital and then we worked our way back to Canmore,” he said.
“I still ski a lot, run a lot, bike a lot. That’s still my passion outside of work.”
Green said he “loved every second” of life as a Team Canada biathlete.
“If I was a little bit younger, if my body would still let me, I think I’d still be racing if I could,” he said.
He and Crawford closely follow the international biathlon and cross-country skiing circuits, watching every World Cup race throughout the winter.
“Being able to compete at that high level was my dream job, dream career,” he said.
“I’m really fortunate I was able to do that for as long as I could. Life moves on, but it was a great part of my life that I will always cherish.”
CONTACT:
Bill Othmer
Executive Director
Sport North Federation
bothmer@sportnorth.com