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Three honoured for contributions to active, healthy lifestyles in North NWT Recreation and Parks Association presents annual awards in Fort Smith
Paul Bickford
Northern News Services
Published Monday, September 30, 2013
THEBACHA/FORT SMITH
Three women have been honoured for their outstanding contributions to promoting active lifestyles in the NWT.
Jill Taylor of Hay River, Amanda Grobbecker of Yellowknife and Jacqueline Thompson of Fort Simpson are recipients of annual awards from the NWT Recreation and Parks Association. The awards were presented on Sept. 25 at the annual conference in Fort Smith.
Thompson received the Scott McAdam Youth Leadership Award.
Thompson said she was surprised when she heard she was to receive the award, and it is even more special because the late Scott McAdam was a close family friend.
"It was definitely an honour to win an award named after him," she said, adding members of McAdam's family were on hand to make the presentation. "It was a really, really nice touch."
Thompson previously worked for five years as the Fort Simpson pool supervisor. For the past two years, she has been offering aquatics programs to Deh Cho communities, including canoeing and water safety, for the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.
She is currently a student at the University of Alberta in a five-year program leading to a bachelor of education and bachelor of physical education.
About a decade ago, the now 22-year-old started to volunteer for a number of activities, including helping out with soccer tournaments.
"I've always been a kid who liked physical education and being a part of any sort of recreation, so I took any opportunity to volunteer and make if fun for other kids, as well," she said.
Grobbecker was presented with the Innovation Award, which recognizes a community, organization or individual for developing a new program, facility or approach to recreation and parks services.
She introduced Jump A Bunch to Yellowknife in 2012. It is a new form of aerobics where participants wear boots with springs - called Kangoo Jump - that lessen the impact on knees, backs and joints.
Grobbecker was surprised when first told she was to receive the award.
"I was kind of in shock and I still am because I haven't even lived here a year yet," she said. "I moved up from Ontario just in October of last year. So I'm just a little shy of living here for a year."
Jump A Bunch is Grobbecker's full-time business.
"I'm the only instructor in all of the Northwest Territories," she said, adding there are more than 100 instructors in Ontario.
She started her business just after moving to the NWT with the intention of teaching adult classes, but she has been surprised by how
popular Jump A Bunch has become with children, resulting in programming in schools and at summer camps.
"I've done a lot and I still have new groups constantly contacting me to do programming with them," she said.
Taylor received the Award of Excellence for founding Hay River's Lights On program, and her continuing role as its tireless proponent and fundraiser.
Lights On is a community-driven, volunteer-led program that provides alternative activities for youth.
"I think any time you're recognized, it's pretty humbling because there are so many people that I work with that make the program successful. So, when you're singled out, it's a little hard to take because I know there is big team behind me," Taylor said, adding 10 adult supervisors help out on an average weekend.
She said she never thought Lights On would get a big as it has gotten since starting it in 2008.
It began with Taylor and her husband opening the gym at Diamond Jenness Secondary School on Friday nights. Lights On has grown to include Princess Alexandra School and weekend-long activities.
More than 84 per cent of Hay River youth - aged eight to 21 - attend Lights On.
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