Williams Lake Skating Club coach Joanne Macnair received a prestigious award May 2 in Burnaby at the Skate Canada BC and Yukon Annual General Meeting.
Macnair was this year’s recipient of the Skate Canada Provincial Club and Recreational Coach Award, which goes to an individual who moves beyond coaching as a profession and truly contributes to the development of skating globally.
The recipient is also a professional coach who contributes to the sport in a volunteer capacity within the clubs CanSkate, Test Program, Adult Skate and Synchronized Skating programs.
Former Canadian Olympic ice dancing medalist Tracy Wilson described Macnair as a coach with 35 years of experience who possesses the unique ability to draw out the individuality of each skater while pushing each one to their highest level.
“A very caring and dedicated coach whose connection with her skaters creates a better learning experience for our sport and touches people in an innovative and special way,” Wilson said during the awards ceremony.
“Due to this ability the club has just completed their best season of results in competition and tests. It’s always a fine line for a coach to create a fun environment and at the same time push each individual to a level they didn’t believe or know they could achieve.”