The newest inductees to the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame have been named, and all are well deserved.
A legend in local school athletics, David Bingham has been involved in Central Okanagan School District sports since 1975.
His resume includes coaching both boys and girls basketball and volleyball, and an ‘A’ championship with the 2013 boy’s volleyball squad at Kelowna Christian School.
“I feel honoured and very proud and humbled when I look around and see the group I’m included with,” said Bingham.
Jim and Karen Bates will be inducted alongside Bingham in the ‘Builder’ category, after forming the Kelowna Apple Triathlon, being involved with the running club, and bringing the Triathlon World Championships to Kelowna in 1988. John Hindle came to them with the idea of creating the Kelowna Apple Triathlon.
One of Canada’s top skeet shooters, Clayton Miller, joins the hall in the ‘Athlete’ category. He was the national skeet champion in 1996 and 2000, suiting up for Team Canada in the 1996 Olympic Games.
As for the ‘Team’ category, Canada’s wheelchair curling team of the mid-2000’s gets the honours, which included Kelowna’s Gerry Austgarden and Vernon’s Sonya Gaudet. They were part of a squad that won gold in the 2006 Paralympic Games in Italy. Austgarden and Gaudet attended the induction ceremony, accompanied by their coach from the 2006 team, Joe Rea.
“We’re honoured and proud to be in the hall of fame,” said Austgarden. “I just wish that other teammates could be here.”
Rounding out the list is Cliff Serwa and Doug Mervyn, the original builders and operators of Big White Ski Resort. The pair, who first attempted to summit the mountain fresh out of high school on skis, have grown Big White into an international ski destination, one that is celebrating it’s 60th year of operation in Dec. of this year.
“It’s an incredible honour,” said Serwa. “I’m privileged to join [the hall] with my granddaughter and with Al Horning, one of our outstanding, hardworking [former] Members of Parliament and a builder of [this] hall of fame.”
“I think the mountain (Big White) has been a huge asset to our community,” said Serwa. “I owe a hearty thanks to the citizens of Kelowna.”
The new members of the hall will be officially inducted at a breakfast event on Nov. 17 at Manteo at the Eldorado Resort.
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