CAF PHOTO
Sailors recognized at 2019 CAF Sports Awards
By Trident Staff,
Royal Canadian Navy sailors were the centre of attention as the country’s top military athletes gathered at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa on November 28 for the 31st Canadian Armed Forces Sports Awards ceremony.
PAUL DEACH, NRAUK MEDIA
The majority of the year’s top awards went to the RCN, with sailors bringing home the CAF Female Athlete of the Year, Official of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Team of the Year trophies.
Naval Reservist AB Yvette Yong was named Female Athlete of the Year after previously being named the CISM Female Athlete of the Year for 2018, along with recent gold-medal wins at the CISM World Games, Pan-American Games, and Canadian Taekwondo Championships. Her contributions to the CAF CISM Taekwondo Team, including top finishes at a number of international events, also helped bring home CAF Team of the Year award.
The other top RCN award winners for 2019 were recognized for their work supporting athletes through officiating and coaching. CPO2 Robert Cook, based out of CFB Esquimalt, was named Official of the Year for his dedication to CAF ice hockey, where he’s officiated at numerous national tournaments, as well as civilian lacrosse, where he most recently worked the FIL Men’s World Lacrosse Championships in Israel. On the coaching side, MARLANT’s own CPO2 Bradley Browne was named coach of the year after leading the CAF Combat Shooting Team to its best result since 1997 at the British Army Occupational Shooting Competition in Bisley, UK. He coached both the Regular and Reserve Force teams at the annual event, and has been involved in CAF shooting competitions for more than 25 years.
LYNDON GOVEAS, CFMWS
Also representing MARLANT at the ceremony, as RCN Male Athlete of the Year and a nominee for CAF Male Athlete of the Year, was MS Shawn Peverill, who was recognized as a multi-sport athlete. MS Peverill competed on both the CFB Halifax ice hockey and slo-pitch teams in 2018, and was named tournament MVP after Halifax won gold at the 2018 CAF National Slo-Pitch Championship.
The award presentations were presided over by Chief of the Defence Staff Gen Jonathan Vance, who thanked all the nominees and award recipients for their hard work representing their units, bases and regions at sporting events throughout the year.
“Sport produces Canadian Armed Forces members who lead by example and are strong team players. When I meet CAF members who have risen to the top of their game, I see soldiers who can leverage a hunger for success on the playing field into a hunger for success on the battlefield,” he said.
