A retiring legend of curling, a high school student playing hockey for Mexico, and a speed skater with three Special Olympics World Games medals were winners at the 2025 Sport North Awards.
The annual awards recognize the NWT’s top athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and contributors to sport.
Kerry Galusha won senior female athlete of the year as she stepped away from top-tier curling after 20 Scotties Tournament of Hearts appearances.
“Hearing that my retirement was actually a big deal was pretty special and it was very humbling. One of my biggest goals throughout my career was to show young athletes in the North, especially Indigenous youth, that anything is possible if you work hard enough and dream big,” Galusha said during a Saturday awards banquet at Yellowknife’s Explorer Hotel.
“We have a lot of talent in the North and I believe the future is incredibly bright,” she added.
“Whenever you’re from the North you’re the underdog, and it’s always fun to be the underdog. No matter who you’re playing or competing against, it’s always great – especially if you beat them.”
Mario Hernandez, the Yellowknife teenager who played U18 and U20 world championship hockey for Mexico in recent months, was named the junior male athlete of the year.
Hernandez was part of a U18 Mexico team that won its world championship division in March, earning promotion.
“Being an immigrant, it’s obviously a huge honour to represent not only Canada but my hometown, Yellowknife, at an international level,” he said.
Josh Boudreau was named senior male athlete of the year after winning two speed skating silver medals and one bronze for Team Canada at the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
“I am very proud to accept this award and I would have not been able to do this without the support of my parents,” Boudreau said.
“My mom was the one who pushed me into trying speed skating. She always pushed me to consider trying different sports – she said, ‘Try it first and then decide.’ Well, I tried it and I never looked back.”
Barb Kardash picked up the community contributor award for her volunteer efforts on behalf of Special Olympics NWT for the past 15 years.
Guluk Cockney Sr, a longtime Northern Games and Arctic sports official, was named official of the year. He described competing in his first events 57 years ago. “It takes one person to make a difference and a whole team to make it work,” he told the audience.
Team of the year went to the NWT’s U15 male basketball team, which defeated Newfoundland and Labrador 85-75 at the sport’s 2024 national championship.
“I had a slight problem with my tear ducts that night,” said head coach Damien Healy.
Hay River’s Davida Delorey won the active for life award for her contribution to curling, while speed skating duo Kerry Egan and Lindsey Stipdonk won coach of the year and youth female athlete of the year respectively.
National champion biathlete Kason Coombs won youth male athlete of the year. Three-time Olympic biathlete Brendan Green of Hay River – inducted into the NWT Sport Hall of Fame a day earlier – presented Coombs with his award.
Morgan Stabel’s bowling performances earned her the junior female athlete of the year award, Kaylee Grant received the contributor to sport award for her creation of a “wave of female hockey coaches” in the North, and Territorial Beverages was recognized as corporate contributor of the year.
Sport North, which oversees the administration of sport in the territory, held its annual meeting on the same weekend.
At that meeting, representatives of territorial sports organizations voted to replace outgoing president Colin Pybus, who had reached his term limit, with Igor Cvetkovski.
