It’s Day One of Sask Sport’s 12 Days of Sport and we are kicking this year’s review off by celebrating those whose impact in sport have left a mark in history and the community. From the individuals who dedicate their time to ensuring sport is accessible for everyone, to the long-standing infrastructure that plays host to sporting events, both leave a substantial mark in history.

• A century of memories, achievements and evolution decorate the walls of Mayfair Lawn Bowling Club. In the 100 years of operation, the club has become a piece of history, standing as a symbol of the community’s development in lawn bowling over the years.
• In 1967, Don Pfiefer saw the need for volunteers within sport and took it upon himself to assist wherever it was required. In the almost sixty years since, Pfiefer has been recognized on numerous occasions for his dedication to sport in the various roles he has volunteered his time.
• Bruce Vance was a shining example of the legacy that is built from volunteering in the amateur sport community. His dedication to Prince Albert’s amateur sport community continues to live on and is felt by the many individuals he volunteered alongside.

On Day Two of 12 Days of Sport, we take time to applaud the contingent of Saskatchewan athletes, coaches, officials and support staff who represented their community and province in sport this year. From the Tony Cote Winter Games that were hosted by Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, to the Canada Games that were hosted in Newfoundland and Labrador this summer, there is so much to celebrate.

• Hosted by Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, hundreds of athletes spent their April break in action, as they competed in six different sports, including badminton, basketball, curling, hockey, table tennis and volleyball for the Tony Cote Winter Games. The week wrapped with File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council earning the top spot in the standings.
• From Aug. 9-25, 488 individuals travelled to St. John’s to represent the green and yellow for the 2025 Canada Games. Overall, the 30^thedition of the Games seen Saskatchewan claim a total of 48 medals, 12 of which were gold, to finish sixth in the standings.

On Day Three of 12 Days of Sport, we celebrate the many young athletes who have represented Saskatchewan and their communities at various levels of competition, from local to international. Although there are countless athletes who achieved greatness throughout the year, here are the three that were featured by Sask Sport.

• What started as an interest in cross country skiing led Ava Darbellay to being the only Saskatchewan athlete to attend the RBC Training Ground Top 100 final in November. She has since been named one of the 35 RBC Training Ground Future Olympians.
• After spending his adolescence as a gymnast, Owen Whitrow felt a draw to explore weightlifting and was interested in the individuality it offered. For him, it is a sport without limits and no cap to the success that can be found.
• Baer Robertson felt like canoe kayak was the sport he could train for every day, especially with his parents’ vast knowledge on the area. After getting involved in 2016, Baer continued to focus on the present, taking it one step at a time, which led him to find success.

On Day Four, we’re highlighting the adaptive programs in the province that make sport accessible for all. These programs and many others like them, work to ensure all individuals can access the benefits of sport.

• In 2025, the Saskatchewan Soccer Association introduced power chair soccer to the province’s sport system and broke into the community as the sole power chair sport offered. The initial outreach of the program was vast, bringing individuals from over two hours away to participate.
• Wheelchair rugby combines elements of basketball, rugby and hockey, which were all on display for the Saskatchewan Wheelchair Rugby Festival. In preparation for the 2025 national championships, the festival offered a great opportunity for the seven Saskatchewan athletes to continue building their skills.
• With the combined efforts of Daniel Olver and Johann Reimer, the Down to Wrestle program entered the provincial sporting community a couple years ago and shifted the landscape of adaptive sport.

On Day Five, we want to shine a light on the pieces that highlight the significance of research and educational opportunities in the field of sport. The future of sport is bright with education surrounding physical and mental wellbeing remaining a priority.

• The dialoguesurrounding female participation in sport is in constant change, evolving as research continues to develop and provide further insight on how an inclusive environment impacts an athlete’s continued involvement past adolescence. There are important components that stem from an awareness of expanding the medical and scientific realm of testing.
• The Indigenous Sport Development Summit acted as the vehicle for volunteers, coaches, District and Tribal Council members, organizers and other community groups across the province to add to the conversation surrounding the importance of including culture within the sport system and much more.
• In recognition of Concussion Awareness Week, physiotherapist Kelsi Hilderman (SPC-CERT, MPT, BSc (Kin), CSCS) spoke in a webinar about the causes of concussions, prevention strategies, recognizing concussions and how to apply an Emergency & Concussion Action Plan.
• The Multiculturalism in Sport Breakfast enveloped an emotional tone as panelists Ted Jaleta, Amou Madol and Randi Keshane-Chaboyer discussed the impact sport can have on inclusivity between cultures.

It’s Day Six and we want to celebrate some of the women who achieved greatness this year and continue to stand as inspiration to others, both within and outside of their sport.

• Gage Grassick accomplished what no female student-athlete with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies has done before her, when she received the Lois and Doug Mitchell Award. In addition to her on-court achievements, Grassick pours time into being a mentor for young athletes, hoping that her accomplishments will help inspire the next generation to follow in her footsteps.
• After standing on the World Cup and World Championship podium for the first time in 2025, Maia Schwinghammer has kept her eye on the goal she has sought after since 2010: representing Saskatchewan on the Olympic stage.

For Day Seven, we are highlighting the insight, advancements and history that was made this past year in Indigenous sport.

• As the top team in the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League, the Standing Buffalo Fighting Sioux earned hosting duties and a bye to the provincial final, which they won 2-0 to secure their place in history. According to director of the Fighting Buffalo program, Russ Matthews, it’s not the victory that counts, but the magnificence of the struggle.
• In its second year, the All-Nations Volleyball Showcase combined competition with cultural exchange, between New Zealand’s Aotearoa Maori Poirewa and Saskatchewan’s Indigenous peoples. It provided a completely unique opportunity to the athletes in attendance, with many sharing an immense gratitude for the experience.
• Coaching goes beyond the surface of connection, often leading to athletes and coaches building strong relationships that allow them to know how personal experiences may play a roll in performance. For Indigenous athletes, those needs may be quite different from those of non-Indigenous, which became the driving force behind the development of the Aboriginal Coaching Module.
• Multi-sport athlete Savannah DeBray shared her journey through sport and some of the challenges she has encountered over the years. Over time, she has worked to bring her Indigenous culture to the forefront of sport and prioritize her connection to her heritage.

On Day Eight, we want to cheer on the Saskatchewan athletes and coaches who travel around the world, representing our province and making the community proud. There are many individuals who represented the green and yellow this year, but here are some that Sask Sport featured.

• Gabrielle Senft built the resilience she displays on the international stage while growing up on her family’s farm in Saskatchewan. For Senft, she believes what makes her the rugby player she is today is rooted in her ties to the province.
• The pathway to medalling can look a little different dependent on whether you are an athlete or a coach. Guided by different experiences and expectations, Para table tennis player Thulir Hector and assistant wheelchair basketball coach Jared Sajtos, both claimed medals in their respective sport at the Chile 2025 Youth Parapan American Games.
• Two Regina alpine skiers joined over 1,500 other athletes for the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy. While competing against athletes who represented 102 different countries, Taylor Barth and Michael Qing both medalled in their respective events.

For Day Nine, we want to highlight the impact grants have made in the Saskatchewan amateur sport system and beyond. Thanks to grants, programs have widened the availability of sport to include more groups that may otherwise face barriers in accessing specific areas of sport.

• With funding from the Spark IDEAs Grant, Saskatchewan Rowing Association brought their sport to land as an accessible program offered to community schools. The program was developed to bring indoor rowing and eventually on-water rowing to youth that are traditionally not in the sport.
• For the past two years, Regina’s Wascana Racing Canoe Club has been paving the way for accessible water sport in the community. Through the Paddle-All program and ParaCanoe program, Wascana has broadened the experience offered to athletes with physical or intellectual challenges, even allowing seniors to use their adaptive equipment.

It’s Day Ten of Sask Sport’s 12 Days of Sport and we want to say “Thanks, Coach!” to the more than 20,000 trained coaches in Saskatchewan who impacted the lives of athletes and left a lasting impression through their contributions to the provincial sport system.

• Reid Richard thought he was done with wheelchair basketball in 2016 after following his teammates into retirement, only to be called back as a coach six years later. Taking on the coaching role for the first time was met with some growing pains.
• From shadowing his father at 14 years old, to attending the 2025 Canada Summer Games with the Aboriginal Apprentice Coaching Program, Thomas Favel has had one goal: to be the best coach possible. Since his youth, Favel’s father has remained his role model, drawing inspiration from his ability to overcome barriers as an Indigenous coach.
• Over the past five years, family has become the foundation on which James Hatley has built his volunteer coach journey. Since becoming the head coach of his son’s Special Olympics floor hockey team, he has expanded the program and hopes to continue to do so for years to come.
• Jay Magus and his daughter, Sophia developed a shared passion for volleyball which became a foundational part of their relationship as Jay coached Sophia through all levels of her early career. Since her time playing club level, Sophia has followed in her dad’s footsteps in more ways than one, including representing Canada.
• University of Regina basketball coach, Michaela Kleisinger reflects on what it means to create an inclusive and welcoming space for all – specifically members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

For Day Eleven, we want to focus on a valuable part of Saskatchewan’s community, both on and off the field of play – KidSport and the Dream Brokers program. Both organizations work to dismantle the barriers that affect children from accessing extra curricular activities.

• What started as a rugby day program at a Saskatoon school has grown into an eight-week program offered to all the Dream Broker schools in the city, thanks to Courtney Fleming, Coaching Director for the North Saskatchewan Rugby Union and Dream Broker, Breanna Northrup.
• In 2025, KidSport Saskatchewan celebrated 30 years of contributing to the provincial landscape, by assisting more than 170,000 kids and getting them involved in sport by providing more than $17 million in grants to cover registration fees.
• In honour Eugene Albert Joseph Dupuis’s request, his estate made a significant donation to the Dream Brokers program in 2025. Giving and supporting others was in his nature and he wanted to ensure that children, youth and their families who faced barriers to participate in sport, culture and recreation programs were given a helping hand.

For Day 12, we look back over the past year of Athlete of the Month recipients and their outstanding achievements. Our December 2025 Athlete of the Month nomination is still open for submission until January 6, 2026.

January – Stryker Zablocki strikes gold to earn Athlete of the Month honours

February- Jonathan Podbielski has five podium finishes and is named February Athlete of the Month

March – Sasha Krakowka sets target on March Athlete of the Month honours

April – Ali Diehl dazzles in April Athlete of the Month honours

May – Regina Masters Swim Club earns May Athlete of the Month

June – Savannah Sutherland secures June Athlete of the Month

July – Blake Tierney takes July Athlete of the Month honours

August – National success earns Tayen Werner August Athlete of the Month

September – Ashlyn Renneberg sets records to land September Athlete of the Month honours

October – Bronze at Youth Parapan American Games earns Thulir Hector October Athlete of the Mont

November – International bronze medal secures Ava Li November Athlete of the Month