Frontrunners Athletes Awarded Nanaimo Athletes of the Year

Team Frontrunners Athletes Wendy Simms and Steve Osaduik were awarded the Male and Female Individual Athlete of the year at the first annual Nanaimo Sports awards on February 4th at the Coast Bastion Inn.

The following was read prior to the winners being anounced in each category.

Male Individual Athlete of the Year
Steve Osaduik - Nanaimo Track and Field
Steve Osaduik has been one of Canada's top middle and long distance runners for several years. In fact, Steve is ranked in the top 5 in BC for all distances from 5km to the Marathon.

The 2005 season was anothe banner year for Steve as he won the Victoria Times Colonist 10km along with the 2005 Island Series Road Race Championship and was named the 2005 BC Half Marathon Champion. In addition, Steve was the top BC finicher at the Canadian Cross Country Championships where he placed 7th overall and he was the top Canadian at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon and the Vancvouer Half Marathon.

For hs efforts, Steve was named the 2005 BC Cross Country Runner of the Year and he has qualified as a 2006 Canadian National Cross Country Team member and will compete at the upcoming World Cross Country Championships in Japan.

Despite his own busy training schedule, which sees Steve run 2-3 times a day and approximately 160km per week, Steve has been instrumental in his continued commitment in helping young runners succeed to new levels. In addition to volunteering his time to the Nanaimo Track and Field Club, Steve helped revive a dormant cross-country team at Cover Bay High School in the role of volunteer coach of the Track and Cross Country Teams. With his continued support, both the men and women qualified for the BC High School Cross Country Championships this season. In addition, Steve is forever donating his time at local running races and clinics throughout the community.

Female Individual Athlete of the Year
Wendy Simms - Cyclocross and Mountain Bike
Wendy Simms started 2005 on a great note placing a (at the time) Canadian high of 12th at the World Cyclocross Championships in January. Wendy was able to continue her good form throughout the season achieving podium finishes at the USGP in Steilacomb and two in Gloucester. After a near miss at the national title (2nd place) she was the only women to beat Lyne Bessette for the top podium position all year at the final USGP event in San Francisco.

Wendy also won two Canada Cup Mountain Bike races as well as finishing a close third in the overall general classification at the Sea Otter Mountain Bike Classic in California this past April.

In addition to being a lab instructor at Malaspina University, Wendy is a constant role model to female athletes. Apart from doing guest lectures on her role in sport, Wendy was instrumental in bringing two B.C. Cyclocross Series races to Nanaimo. Wendy can always be found volunteering her time at various running and cycling events in the community.