By Ontario Canoe Sprint Racing Affiliation (OCSRA)
Last April, Canoe Kayak Ontario was delighted to announce that Katie Vincent, Canoe Sprint athlete at the Mississauga Canoe Club, was named the 2018 Ontario Female Athlete of the Year at the Ontario Sports Awards.
Vincent flew home from Gainesville, Gorgia on Saturday, April 14 to receive her award, just a few days prior to the Canadian Sprint Team Trials that took place the following weekend in the Lake Lanier Olympic Center.
“It’s an honour to receive this award and represent Women’s Canoe where Canada is a leader in gender equality,” said Vincent. “I am a part of something that is much more than me, a movement for female sport.”
That weekend, Katie broke her own world record time in the C-2 500 meter race by 4 seconds, with partner Québec’s Laurence Vincent-Lapointe (Trois-Rivières). They placed first in a time of 1:52.745. Katie also came second in both the C1 200 meter and C-1 500 meter races, with impressive times of 46.586 and 2:04.803 respectively. That was the competition that qualified them to the World Cup team.
“We are really excited to have Katie named athlete of the year,” said Ryan Blair, Technical Director at Ontario Canoe Kayak Sprint Racing Affiliation. “She is a tremendous athlete on and off the water, but especially a great role model for all female athletes in Ontario. She showed excellent performances that weekend at the National Team Trials and it is very promising for her 2018 season both on the national and international stage.”
Ontario Athlete of the Year Award
Presented by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport (MTSC), the Ontario Sport Awards celebrate the exceptional contributions of Ontario amateur athletes, individuals, and sport organizations to the Ontario sport system. Since 1965, the Ontario Sport Awards have recognized outstanding achievements in Ontario amateur sport and are the highest honour the province bestows on athletes and organizations that demonstrate excellence in sport.
Katie has emerged as one of the world’s top athletes in Canoe Sprint and a role model for women and girls in sport.
Her achievements from 2017 include a five-medal haul on the World Cup tour, a gold medal at the U23 World Championships in the C-1 200 meter and, another gold medal at the Senior World Championships in the C-2 500m category.
Katie has taken the podium in over 18 international competitions throughout her career and was named Mississauga’s 2013 Female Athlete of the Year. When the Women’s Canoe discipline makes their debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, there is no doubt Katie will be an athlete to watch.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my coach Kyle and the support I have received from the Mississauga Canoe Club, the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO), the Ministry and Canoe Kayak Canada,” explained Vincent.
