Girard, Svensson nominated for athlete-of-year awards

Christine Girard (left) and Adam Svensson are among the nominees for athlete-of-the-year awards at a ViaSport event in March.

File photos

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A pair of South Surrey residents are in the running for a BC Sport Community award, after finalists were announced by ViaSport last week.

ViaSport, formerly known as the BC Sport Agency, will host its annual Athlete of the Year Awards gala, honouring the province’s best amateur coaches, players and officials, March 7 at the River Rock Show Theatre in Richmond.

And among those in the running are White Rock weightlifter Christine Girard, who is nominated for senior female athlete of the year, and South Surrey golfer Adam Svensson, who is one of three nominated for junior male athlete of the year.

Girard had a remarkable 2012, highlighted by a bronze medal at the Summer Olympics in London – her achievement marked the first medal by any Canadian women in the sport.

Also nominated in her category is fellow Olympian Christine Sinclair, who led Canada to a bronze medal in women’s soccer, and ski-cross athlete Marielle Thompson of Whistler.

Svensson, an Earl Marriott Secondary grad who earned a golf scholarship to the University of Nevada-Las Vegas, won a Canadian Junior Boys Championship last year in Nova Scotia, shooting a final round of 64 to knock off the defending champion.

The South Surrey resident has had an impressive amateur career, having previously won Canadian juvenile, B.C. junior and world junior titles.

Other nominees in Svensson’s category are junior hockey player Sam Reinhart and North Vancouver tennis star Filip Peliwo.

Other Surrey nominees at the March 7 awards include gymnast Shallon Olsen (junior female athlete of the year); judo champ Sanda Hewson (master athlete of the year), and lacrosse official Terry Mosdell (official of the year).