TORONTO – AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes, is proud to announce the revival of the Randy Starkman Award for Leadership in Sports Journalism as part of the nomination campaign for the 45th Canadian Sport Awards (CSAs).
The Randy Starkman Award for Leadership in Sports Journalism was initially created in 2012, following the sudden passing of its namesake just a few months prior, who served as a long-time Toronto Star amateur sports reporter and advocate. The award recognizes his extraordinary career and unparalleled contributions in telling the stories of Canadian sport over the past 30 years from an athletes’ perspective.
“We’re so honoured to have Randy remembered this way, and we’re very grateful to AthletesCAN for reviving the award. Randy’s stories were always shaped by his respect for the athletes, so it would mean a lot to him that the athletes’ own organization is making this happen.”
The award’s revival in memory of Starkman will serve as an ongoing recognition of his legacy and will be a call to action to inspire current and future Canadian sport journalists to strive for the kind of sport journalism that he demonstrated throughout his career.
In its lone previous appearance a decade ago on the Canadian Sport Awards program, Olympic canoe sprint bronze medalist Thomas Hall – now the Director of Communications and Media Relations with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), following a distinguished career in sports reporting – accepted the inaugural award on behalf of the Starkman family.
The addition of the Randy Starkman Award highlights the launch of this year’s CSA Nomination Campaign, which features six awards and is now open until Oct. 31. Candidates may also be nominated for the AthletesCAN Social Responsibility Award, the True Sport Award, the #AthleteVoice Rep of the Year Award and the Bruce Kidd Leadership Award.
Nominations for the People’s Choice Award for Most Trending Moment of the Year in partnership with CBC Sports will once again be conducted in collaboration with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees, in addition to CSA founding co-partner Commonwealth Sport Canada.
“We are excited to launch the nomination campaign for the 45th Canadian Sport Awards in collaboration with the Starkman family and our sport partners. This year’s event will be uniquely special as we honour not just the ongoing athlete advocacy work of our members, but also that of a member of the media who has followed in Randy’s footsteps.”
A full awards campaign will be held in November, with winners announced in December. For more information about the Canadian Sport Awards, including complete guidelines and award descriptions and criteria click here.
About the Canadian Sport Awards
The Canadian Sport Awards were established in 1972 by modern day co-founders True Sport, Canadian Centre for Ethics and Sport, Canada Games Council, Commonwealth Sport Canada, and AthletesCAN to recognize and showcase excellence in Canadian sport. Since then, the CSAs have evolved over time to become the premier recognition event for national sporting excellence. After the 40th anniversary, the awards experienced a five-year hiatus. In 2017, AthletesCAN successfully acquired the rights to revive this staple event to once again bring together members of the sport community to honour the spirit, drive, and commitment of Canada’s international level athletes, coaches, volunteers, and sport leaders.
About AthletesCAN
AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes, is the only fully independent and most inclusive athlete organization in the country and the first organization of its kind in the world. As the voice of Canadian national team athletes, AthletesCAN ensures an athlete-centered sport system by developing athlete leaders who influence sport policy and, as role models, inspire a strong sport culture. Follow us on social @AthletesCAN and Join #TheCollective today.
For more information, please contact:
Alan Hudes
Manager, Communications and Sport Partnerships
AthletesCAN
613-526-4025 Ext. 224
[email protected]