By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator

The year 2020 has been unlike anything we have ever experienced before. Sport and school, among many other things, have felt the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in a major way. But while classrooms and courts may look different to keep us safe, Manitobans across the province will continue to pursue academic and athletic excellence, and these scholarships can go a long way in providing local support.

Sport Manitoba recently awarded $16,000 in academic scholarships to 11 high school students, six university students, and four Manitoba coaches:

 

Princess Royal Pan Am Scholarship Endowment Fund

This scholarship provides financial support for Manitoba’s high-performance athletes at the national and international levels of competition, while serving as a tribute to commemorate the Manitoba visit of Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal in 1999. The Princess Royal Pan Am Scholarship is valued up to $3,000 for high-performance athlete enrolled in a post-secondary institution in Manitoba. This year’s recipient is Emily Zacharias from Altona.

 

Bud Tinsley Sport Leadership Scholarship

In memory of Robert (Bud) Tinsley, the Bud Tinsley Sport Leadership Scholarship is a $500 scholarship to recognize a Manitoba student-athlete who demonstrates similar leadership traits that were attributable to Bud. The scholarship recipient is selected from among the Manitoba Foundation for Sport Scholarship recipients based on the added criteria of leadership, and this year has been awarded to Carter Bateman from Stonewall.

 

Silvio Sboto Memorial Rural Coach Award

This award is named after Silvio Sboto, a dedicated and humble man who started learning judo in the late 50s after immigrating to Canada from Peru. He resided in Brandon for the last thirty years where he worked at the Seikeikan Judo Club. Silvio was the chair of the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) for Judo Canada. Recipients of this award receive a $500 bursary to be used toward their 2020-2021 tuition. This year’s recipients are Sammi Rea and Johnathon Patmore.

 

Jeff Collins Memorial Winnipeg Coach Award

Jeff Collins’ expertise earned him a reputation as a coach’s coach. Jeff served as head coach and clinician for the Legion Athletic Camps at the International Peach Garden for 32 years. He was the convenor and co-meet director of the MHSAA’s provincial track and field champs from 1984 to 2001. He attained his level 3 NCCP and also worked with world-class special needs athletes. In 2003, Jeff was inducted to the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. Recipients of this award receive a $500 bursary to be used toward their 2020-2021 tuition. This year’s recipients are Liam O’Brien and Mackenzie Henley.

 

Manitoba Foundation for Sports (MFFS) Scholarship 

Administered by Sport Manitoba, this scholarship program was established to support young athletes of Sport Manitoba partners who continue to participate in amateur sport while pursuing a post-secondary education on a full-time basis.

This year’s $1,000 university scholarship recipients are Taryn Grant and Shannon Sarahs from Winnipeg, Mackenzie Zacharias from Altona, Rienna Skelton from Melita, and Maren Garcia from East St. Paul.

The $500 high school scholarship recipients are Alexander Krykewich, Cecilia Howes, Grace Francis, Brady Klassen and Breyanna Johnston-Krulicki from Winnipeg, Carter Bateman from Stonewall, Rachael Penner from Carberry, Toni Koshowski from Dauphin, Jena Barscello from Brandon, Jacey Ledochowski from Teulon, and Emilie Dornez from Ste-Geneviève.

 

Congratulations to this year’s recipients! Recognizing these well-deserving Manitobans is an opportunity for them to continue to develop and thrive within their chosen discipline. We wish them all the very best in their future paths and can’t wait to see what they conquer next! For more details, read our media release.

To apply for these scholarships during the 2021-2022 application period next spring, please visit our website in the New Year.