Media Release
Sport Manitoba Scores a Hat Trick!
Sport Manitoba is pleased to announce that three significant players from the Manitoba Amateur Sport community have joined Sport Manitoba’s Board of Directors.
As a past athlete and president of the Manitoba Olympians Chapter, Rhiannon Leier-Blacher will represent and be the athlete voice on the board. With his history in sport science and his years as the chair of the Sport Medicine Council, Dean Kriellaars will sit on the board as the sport science/sport science representative. Finally, with his years in education and sport Lew will sit on the board as the Manitoba Regional Sport Association Council Representative.
Bio’s
Rhiannon Leier-Blacher, an account manager for Fusion Communications, is one of Manitoba’s most decorated Olympic Swimmers. From 2000 to 2004 she represented Canada at many international competitions including the 2000 Sydney Olympics and the 2004 Athens Olympics. Some of Leier-Blacher’s major accomplishments include 13 national titles, 19 international medals, being named the 2004 Canadian Female Swimmer of the Year and being nominated for the 2001 and 2004 Manitoba Female Athlete of the Year Award. She is the President of the Manitoba Olympians Chapter and was the athlete representative for the Swim Manitoba Board from 2005 to 2007. Leier-Blacher has freelanced for CBC and the Winnipeg Free Press and has served as a keynote and motivational speaker for various organizations, athletic teams and schools in Manitoba.
Dean Kriellaars is an Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, and is an adjunct professor in the Department of Physiology. The majority of his research is directed at understanding the neuro-mechanical basis of human motion in rehabilitation and sport science fields. Among his many accomplishments, Kriellaars helped co-found the Centre for Substance Use in Sport and Health (SUSH); a federally-funded not-for-profit organization. In 2007, He was named as the co-chair of the Premiers Council on Health Living for the province of Manitoba. He recently was awarded the Healthy Living Award (2007) for his outstanding activities in building community wellness in the province of Manitoba.
Lew Taylor from Swan River Manitoba graduated from the University of North Dakota and then spent 34 years working in education. Of the 34 years working for the Swan Valley School Division, Taylor spent 14 years as the Supervisor of Physical Education followed by 20 years as a School Administrator. After retiring in 2005 he continued to be involved in sport as a participant, recreational athlete and coach. Taylor has been coaching now for a total of 37 years.
-30-
For more information please contact:
Erin Carter
Communications/Public Relations Officer
Sport Manitoba
work: (204) 925-5735
cell: (204) 781-1438
email: erincarter@sport.mb.ca
