Fitness Leadership Awards
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BCRPA's Annual Fitness Leadership Awards recognize BCRPA Registered Fitness Leaders who make outstanding contributions to BC's fitness industry - who inspires, informs, and actively models promotion of active and healthy lifestyles.
About the Award
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BCRPA's Fitness Professional of the Year award, recognizes a BCRPA Registered Fitness Leader who has demonstrated strength in bringing individuals and communities together, and has made outstanding contributions to fitness leadership in their community by motivating, educating and influencing active and under-active individuals to commit to a physically active lifestyle.
This annual award is presented at BCRPA's annual BCFit® conference.
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2023 Fitness Professional of the Year — Sheryl Hay
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Sheryl Hay, from the community of Enderby, was awarded the 2023 BCRPA Fitness Professional of the Year Award. She is a BCRPA Registered Fitness Leader with specialities in Older Adult Fitness, Aquatic Fitness and Fitness Theory who has dedicated over 27 years to the fields of fitness and aquatics. She is a coach and trainer, program designer and facilitator, as well as a dedicated member of multiple community sport teams.
Sheryl works enthusiastically with Enderby & District Recreation Services as a Recreation Programmer and Fitness Instructor. She is known for her customized land and water-based programs that support accessibility, mental and physical wellbeing. Sheryl’s achievements also include leading her hometown to be crowned by the national non-profit organization ParticipACTION as Canada's Most Active Community in 2019, and in 2023, being inducted into her high school's Wall of Fame for her contributions to community sport, fitness, and wellbeing.
Read the complete media release here.
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Past Fitness Leadership Award Recipients
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2022

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Fitness Professional of the Year

Shannon is a BCRPA Registered Fitness Leader and Supervisor of Fitness Leaders (SFL) who has dedicated the past 40 years to the field of community fitness and health promotion. She holds Specialities in Older Adult Fitness, Personal Training, Weight Training and Group Fitness and is deeply committed to making fitness education accessible and inclusive.
Shannon’s fitness career began as an Industrial First Aid Attendant and a Fitness Instructor in the early 1980s. Soon after, she added skydiving as a unique form of exercise and became a volunteer Skydiving Safety Officer to support first-time jump students. She went on to become a rigger and jump master, jumping into Vanier Park in Vancouver as part of Expo86, opening the Abbotsford Airshow with a red and white parachute and Canadian flag, and later securing a bronze medal for Canada in the 1988 World ParaSki Championships in Damüls, Austria.
Shannon is a life-long learner who has supported people of all ages through fitness education and physical activity. During her 27-year career as a nurse in acute care, Shannon set up a back-care program in her unit to support physicians and nurses at the end of their 12-hour shifts. She would then check in on elderly home-bound clients on her way home each night to support them to do the same. She later supported her own son using nutrition and exercise to help him thrive through 8 years of chemotherapy and 2.5 years of restorative leg surgery.
Shannon is known by students, clients, and colleagues past and present to be extremely positive, supportive and creative.
Read the complete media release here.
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2021

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Fitness Professional of the Year
Andrew is a BCRPA Registered Fitness Leader and Group Fitness Instructor and a highly respected leader in Vancouver’s fitness community. Andrew is widely known for his accessible, personable, and entertaining training style, balancing fitness with fun to engage and motivate his clients and community members. His supportive and energetic approach allows all individuals, from beginners to fitness enthusiasts, to reach far beyond their fitness goals.
Andrew’s inspirational fitness classes have been a lifeline for many during the past pandemic year. He was nominated for this award by multiple individuals, including a Critical Care Nurse who sought out Andrew’s classes not only to stay active, but to support her mental and physical health. Andrew also chose to support those who may have seen a reduction in income or job loss due to COVID-19 by providing no-cost small group classes as well as free online classes.
Andrew’s creative approach to teaching makes his classes accessible and allows even someone brand new to physical activity to feel welcome. “His classes feel more like a party with friends than a workout you have to suffer through,” said one Award Nominator.
In addition to receiving this honour from BCRPA, Andrew was also named one of Canada’s Top Fitness Instructors in 2021 by IMPACT Magazine.
Click here to read the complete Media Release. |
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2018

Fitness Leader of the Year
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Program Manager/Director of the Year
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2017
Fitness Leader of the Year |

Educator of the Year
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Melanie Osmack
Program Manager / Director of the Year
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2016
Fitness Leader of the Year |

Educator of the Year
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Program Manager / Director of the Year |
2015
Chrissy Duncan
Fitness Leader of the Year |

Educator of the Year |
2014
Kate Lee
Fitness Leader of the Year
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Educator of the Year
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Program Director / Manager of the Year
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2013
Kim Magnan
Fitness Leader of the Year
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Chad Benson
Educator of the Year
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Program Director/Manager of the Year
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2012
Fitness Leader of the Year
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Educator of the Year
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Program Director/Manager of the Year
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2011
Heather Stanton
Fitness Leader of the Year
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Educator of the Year
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Program Director/Manager of the Year |
2010
Silvia Isachsen
Fitness Leader of the Year
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Educator of the Year
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Program Director of the Year
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2009

Aquatic Fitness Leader of the Year |

Hanna Fletcher
Group Fitness Leader of the Year |
Program Director of the Year
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2008
Group Fitness Leader of the Year
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Nicole Yamanaka
Personal Trainer of the Year
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Program Director of the Year |
2007
Aquatic Fitness Leader of the Year
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Group Fitness Leader of the Year
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Lori Nishi
Personal Trainer of the Year
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Cori Boguski
Program Director of the Year
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2006
Group Fitness Leader of the Year |
Personal Trainer of the Year |
Kim Froom
Program Director of the Year |
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