It was breakfast with champions on Thursday morning, as the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame inducted its class of 2019.
Six new passes were handed out at the hall’s 12th annual induction ceremony, including one to an Olympic gold medallist.
Making up the six were four athletes and two builders.
The six are:
- Roger Lafontaine, for his work with the Okanagan Track Club
- Daphne Richard, for endurance equestrian work
- Duncan McNaughton, posthumously, high jumper
- Tania Jones, marathon runner
- Robyn Buna, basketball
- Kelsey Serwa, skiing
Richard thanked her dearly departed horse, Teddy, stating “he has been long gone, but he was the greatest horse and he changed everything for me.”
Buna is a three-time national university champion. In 2009-10, she was named the CIS championship tournament MVP.
“For me, sport really directed me and what I ended up doing with my life,” said Buna.
“And all the qualities that you learn as a player and a team, I think you can use in the rest of your life.”
The biggest name to enter the hall was Serwa, Kelowna’s favourite female skier, who was caught off guard by the monumental moment.
“I wasn’t really expecting to be this emotional,” said Serwa.
Her ski-cross career included 18 World Cup podium finishes, 8 World Cup victories and two Olympic medals, including gold in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018. At the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia, Serwa won silver.
“This award signifies the parents, the teachers, the councilors, the coaches who helped me get to where I am today,” said Serwa.
Having retired from competitive skiing, what’s next for Serwa?
With other Olympians having parlayed performance into public service, is politics a possibility?
Serwa gave an answer that only a politician would give, stating “I’m not saying yes, but I’m not saying no.”