(On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, athletes took the stage at the Trinity Conference Centre for the 2025 Ottawa Sports Awards. Athletes from Stittsville were prominent with many receiving awards. Photos: Ottawa Sports Awards.)
On Wednesday, February 4, 2026, the Ottawa Sports Awards were held at the Infinity Conference Centre where over 650 award winners and guests were in attendance. Awards were presented to athletes in 70 sport categories, in addition to Special Recognition awards.
Stittsville athletes were prominent on stage receiving awards with six individual and one team being recognized for their athletic achievements. Tyrone Henry received the Athlete of the Year Award for Para Hockey/Sledge Hockey; Collinda Joseph for Wheelchair Curling; Trinity Lowthian for Fencing; Amelia Derk for Shooting; Dexter Bates for Wrestling; and the U16AA Gorham West Ottawa Wild Ringette team.
Long-time resident, Allan Ryan received a Special Recognition Award for his volunteer work to support Stittsville athletes and the revitalization of the Stittsville Sports Hall of Fame at the CARDELREC-Recreation Complex – Goulbourn.
Athlete of the Year: Tyrone Henry
A mainstay of Canada’s National Para Hockey Team, Tyrone Henry added another World Championship medal to his case in 2025. The veteran defenceman helped Canada to a silver medal at the 2025 World Para Hockey Championship, including a 3-0 shutout of Czechia, the host team, in the semifinal.
Henry and the National Team also earned silver medals at the 2025 Para Cup and the International Para Hockey Cup, part of a busy season of preparations for the 2026 Paralympic Games. For Henry, who is an alternate team captain, competing in Milan Cortina would mark his third Paralympic Games, having won silver at both the 2018 and 2022 Games.
This is Henry’s second straight Athlete of the Year Award at the Ottawa Sports Awards, and the third in his career. Locally, he is a member and volunteer with Sledge Hockey of Eastern Ontario.
Here is a link to an article we wrote in 2022 about Tyrone: https://stittsvillecentral.ca/whats-next-for-paralympian-tyrone-henry-a-2026-gold-medal/.
Special Recognition Award: Allan Ryan
Allan Ryan saw an issue and went about finding solutions. The outcome of his volunteer work is the Stittsville Sports Hall of Fame, housed at the CardelRec Recreation Complex. Ryan spearheaded its first induction ceremony, which took place in November of 2024, and links to the storied sports heroes of the community pre-amalgamation, via the former Goulbourn Sports Wall of Fame.
Nineteen local inductees had been celebrated in the early 1990s, but had been left behind by amalgamation. Ryan recognized the importance of their stories, and revived their status by upgrading and modernize the plaques, find an appropriate new facility, and revitalize the branding and selection process.
Here is a link to an article we wrote in 2026 about Allan: https://stittsvillecentral.ca/allan-ryan-to-receive-special-recognition-award-at-the-2026-ottawa-sports-awards/.
Individual Sport Award Winner – Curling – Collinda Joseph:
The lead for Canada’s Wheelchair Curling team, Collinda helped the squad capture a bronze medal at the 2025 World Championship in March. The podium finish, which was the second World Championship medal of her career, secured a berth for Canada in the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Paralympic Games. Collinda has been named to the Paralympic Team for the 2026 Games, as the lead. It will be her second Paralympic Games. Collinda was unable to attend the event on February 4th.
Here is a link to one of the articles we have written, this one in 2022, about Collinda: https://stittsvillecentral.ca/stittsvilles-collinda-joseph-is-back-home-with-her-paralympic-bronze-medal/.
Individual Sport Award Winner – Fencing – Trinity Lowthian:
In 2025, Trinity won the category B Epée bronze medal at the São Paulo World Cup and finished ninth at the Para Fencing World Championships. The bronze medal was Lowthian’s first at a World Cup event. In addition to her athletic achievements, the 2024 Paralympic team member was accepted as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, where she will begin working on her PhD in 2026.
Here is a link to an article we wrote in 2024 about Trinity: https://stittsvillecentral.ca/trinity-lowthian-is-set-to-challenge-herself-at-the-2024-paralympics/.
Individual Sport Award Winner – Shooting – Amelia Derk:
Amelia made history this year by becoming the first female and youngest person ever to win the Ontario F-Class Lieutenant Governor’s Championship (Long Range Aggregate). At the Ontario Provincial Fullbore Championship, she led the field with the highest v-bull count in 10 of the 17 events. She earned both Top Woman and Top Junior honours for F-Class at the Provincials, Nationals, and Victoria Day competitions.
Here is a link to an article we wrote in 2026 about Amelia: https://stittsvillecentral.ca/amelia-derk-is-competing-for-canada-at-the-2026-f-class-world-championships-in-england-winner-of-an-ottawa-sports-award/.
Also, Amelia is hosting a fundraiser to offset costs to compete in the F-Class World Championship in Bisley, UK in August. The event is being held on March 7, 2026 – for further information on this incredible Stittsville athlete, or to attend the March 7th competition, please visit, Amelia Derk F-Class.
Individual Sport Award Winner – Wrestling – Dexter Bates: Dexter is a Holy Trinity student who won the National Capital Secondary School Athletic Association West Conference Championships, NCSSAA City Finals, and the OFSAA championship in the 64-kilogram category. During high school competition, Dexter competed in 15 meets, and didn’t allow a single point against him. Representing the National Capital Wrestling Club, he also won four consecutive matches to capture the boys’ 65-kilogram class gold medal at the Ontario boys’ juvenile championship. He then represented Ontario at the Canada Games, winning a team gold and an individual silver. Dexter also received the Howard Darwin Memorial Scholarship.
Championship – Winning Ottawa Team – Ringette – West Ottawa Wild U16AA Gorham Ringette Team –
For their performance at the 2025 Provincial U16AA Championships of winning Gold and being titled, Team Ontario, the U16AA Gorham (2024/25 season) were recognized at the Ottawa Sports Awards The team members were: Olivia Binder, Amélie Carrière, Aurélie Lacourcière, Rachel Macdonald, Cassidy Marchment, McKenna Foley, Lia Ferguson, Lucy Fischer, Addison Fracker, Mya Grimm, Emily Jessiman, Zoey Lorimer, Mia Maahs, Jasmine Paquette, Charlotte Upshall. Barry Gorham, Lindsay Frechette, Blayne Ferguson, Janet Lorimer, Lisa Fischer, France Paquette, Sophie Vallee.
Stittsville has always had a strong sports community and we extend Congratulations to all of these athletes.