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OTTAWA - The Petro-Canada Coaching Excellence Award recognizes coaches of athletes who have won medals over the past year at open World Championships. One of this year's recipients is Wynn Gmitroski, coach of 2007 World Championship 800 metres silver medalist Gary Reed. Reed believes his coach is very deserving of this award "When it comes to preparing athletes for the heat of battle, Wynn is far and away the coach I would want in my corner. His meticulous planning and preparation are second to none. He has a vision of where he sees his athletes going and the type of goals they are capable of achieving. He sees and understands things within the sport that most coaches would never pick up on and that is what separates Wynn as a great coach."
Wynn Gmitroski's 28 years of coaching in athletics has taken him to four Olympic Games, twelve World Championships, and five Commonwealth Games. Returning each season from his coaching duties in Europe and Championship locations, he resumes his coaching and sport / fitness consulting in Victoria as a physiotherapist. Currently Wynn is the head coach at the Pacific Sport Center in British Columbia. He's also a master course conductor at the National Coaching Institute.
Wynn was the personal coach of Angela Chalmers, bronze medalist at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, gold medalist at the Commonwealth Games in 1990 and 1994, and fourth-place finisher at the 1995 World Championships in Sweden. He also coached Diane Cummins fifth-place finisher at the 2001 Edmonton World Championships and sixth place finisher at the 2003 Paris World Championships.
Through study and his combined years of experience with coaching and physiotherapy, Wynn has developed highly regarded expertise in the areas of periodization of training, long-term athlete development, methods of recovery and prevention.
The 2007 Geoff Gowan Award recognized Andy Higgins for his continued contributions to coaching in Canada. Beginning in 1996 the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) created this award in memory of Geoffrey Gowan, former president of the CAC. The award recognizes the lifetime contributions made to coaching development and is presented annually to a coach who has promoted a positive image for coaches.
In 1970 Andy Higgins wrote and implemented the formal coaching education and certification program in Canada. He has since continued to work with and better the development of the program. Andy is a past president and founding member of the Canadian professional Coaches Association now more commonly known as Coaches of Canada. In 2001 he was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.
In 1971 Andy Higgins became the first full time track and field coach at the University of Toronto. He has coached for over 45 years including many well known athletes such as Louise Walker, Jill Ross, Donna Smellie, and Catherine Bond-Mills. He also coached decathletes Michael Smith and David Steen. Smith is the Canadian record holder in the decathlon, 3-time Olympian, 3-time World Championship medalist, and 3-time Commonwealth Games medalist.
Both of the awards will be presented on Friday October 12 at 7:00pm in the Cunard Centre as part of the Petro-Canada Sport Leadership sportif in Halifax, NS.
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