Surrey curler Tyler Tardi was announced as the recipient of the W.R. Bennett Award for Athletic Excellence for the 2014 BC Winter Games.
Tyler Tardi is an up and coming B.C. curler who skipped his team to the bronze medal at the BC Winter Games this past weekend. At just 15 years old, he already has high goals including one day representing Canada on the world stage but, he is looking next to qualify for the 2015 Canada Winter Games at the playdowns taking place in March.
Named as Curl BC’s Junior Male Athlete of the Year in 2012, Tyler is part of the Curl BC high performance program and a carded athlete with PacificSport. He is currently the skip of four different teams including one for Lord Tweesdmuir Secondary, a Junior team, BC Games, and Canada Winter Games. In addition to his busy competition schedule, Tyler volunteers teaching children and adults how to curl, as well as actively fundraising for BC’s Children’s Hospital.
MLA for Maple Ridge-Mission, Mark Dalton, and MLA for Abbotsford-Mission, Simon Gibson, presented the award to Tyler at the Closing Ceremony of the 2014 BC Winter Games.
The W.R. Bennett Award for Athletic Excellence recognizes one BC Winter Games athlete for their achievement in sport. Nominees were evaluated on major sport accomplishments, future potential and ambition in sport, and leadership. Tyler Tardi was nominated by Curl BC and chosen by a BC Games Society selection panel.
The W.R. Bennett Award for Athletic Excellence was named in honour of the former Premier of British Columbia, William Bennett, who was instrumental in starting the BC Summer and BC Winter Games program in 1978. The award includes a $2500 bursary to use towards future sport expenses or post secondary education.