Sport NL 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees

Sport Newfoundland And Labrador Announces 2020 Hall of Fame Inductees

Sport Newfoundland and Labrador is elated to announce five new members to be inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame. Selected by the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame board of Governors, these honorable inductees will be celebrated at the Stars and Legends Awards Gala.

“These inductees for 2020 have achieved great successes over the course of their sporting careers. The level of dedication and sportsmanship that these Athletes, Administrators and Volunteers possess have aided them in creating lasting legacies, while making notable contributions over the years to the sporting community. These inductees are inspirations for others all over the province, and we are excited to commemorate them and celebrate these accomplished individuals at our annual Stars and Legends Gala” says Ed Murphy, Chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame Board of Governors.

The 2020 inductees are:

• Kirk Howell in the “Athlete” category (Cross-Country Skiing)
• Anne (Barrington) Johnston in the “Athlete” category (Athletics)
• Douglas Redmond in the “Builder” category (Soccer)
• Gail (Moore) Roberts in the “Athlete/Builder” category (Volleyball, Basketball, Field Hockey)
• Erin Woodrow in the “Athlete” category (Boxing)

Biographies for each of the inductees are below.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Sports Hall of Fame aims to recognize, honour and pay tribute to exceptional individuals who have made considerable contributions to the provinces sporting community through their playing ability, sportsmanship and character. These distinctions aid in the development of all aspects of sport through the permanent recording of the achievements and history of these accomplished individuals.

Regretfully, we must inform you that the Stars and Legends Awards Gala, will not be going ahead as planned. In the interest of caution as we work together to navigate the challenges imposed by COVID-19, the Induction Ceremony will be rescheduled.

SportNL is working to determine next steps and develop a plan for the 2020 Induction Ceremony. We appreciate your patience and understanding while we work on the final details. Please watch our social media channels and website for updates as they are made available

Sport Newfoundland and Labrador is a volunteer organization committed to the promotion and advancement of amateur sport throughout the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Hall of Fame Inductee Biographies

Kirk Howell “Athlete”

Kirk Howell is an accomplished cross-country skier who has participated in a number of impressive events throughout his fifteen-year career. An athlete known for his outstanding sportsmanship and sense of fair play; his career began in 1987 where he placed 1^st in all Cross-Country events at the Atlantic Canadian Championships. He would continue to perform well placing 1^st at the 1990 Atlantic Canadian Championships and would soon find himself attending numerous National and International level competitions. From 1991-1993, Kirk was a member of the Junior National Team competing in European Ski Tour races and the Junior World Championships. In 1995, he competed in the Canada Winter Games. Here he placed 1^st in the 10km freestyle, 2^nd in the 15km classic and 15km classic mass start, making him the overall winner of Cross-Country Skiing in the Games. Howell’s results led him to qualify for the World Cross Country Championships in 1995. 1995 was a banner year for Kirk as he was also named Athlete of the Year at Augustana University.

In 2011 he was nominated to the Board of the Alberta World Cup Society and served as a member until 2015.  In 2011, Kirk was 1^st overall in the Canadian Birkebeiner, Canadian Master gold medalist in three categories and was the top Canadian/third overall in the World Masters Cross Country Championships in his age group. An outstanding athlete with exemplary technical abilities, Howell was inducted into the Cross Country Newfoundland and Labrador Hall of Fame in 2016.

Anne (Barrington) Johnston “Athlete”

Anne Johnston has been involved in the sport of Athletics for more than 20 years. In 1996 she was selected to the Provincial 17 & under Track and Field team and has been making a name for herself ever since. In 1996 and 1997 she was ranked #1 in the province in the 800m and 1500m. She set a Provincial 1500m record in the Juvenile division in 1997 leading to her selection to the Canada Summer games team in 1997 and again in 2001.  In 1998 she became a member and team captain of the Memorial University cross country running team where she competed until 2001. Anne won multiple titles in this period including the Jubilee Cup for outstanding performance in cross country running (2001), Canadian Interuniversity Sport women’s cross-country running 2^nd team all Canadian (1999 & 2000), and CIS 1^st Team all Canadian in 2001. All her accomplishments made her Memorial’s top female runner from 1998-2001 leading to her induction into Memorial University Athletic Honors Society in 2002. Anne was then selected to Team Canada helping them win 7^th place at the FISU World University cross country championships in Spain and running in Beijing, China as a member of Team Canada’s Ekiden running team.

In 2003, Anne was a member of Queen University’s Cross-Country Female team winning the OUA Championship and came second overall in the CIS cross country Championship. She would once again become 1^st team All Canadian at the CIS Women’s event in 2003 and was a bronze medalist in the CIS indoor track and field women’s 3000m in 2004. Anne Johnston is ranked as one of the top female athletes in the province winning multiple Provincial events including the NLAA’s 5km championship and Half Marathon in 2002, Timex 5km champion in 2004 and she has won the most coveted trophy in road running, the Tely 10 in 2003, 2004, and 2015.

Anne has continued to compete at the provincial, national and international level since 2015 and remains as one of the top female runners on the provincial and national racing scene winning several of the local races between 2015-2019. In May 2018 she ran her first marathon in Toronto and finished 2nd female overall. This qualified her to run in the Boston Marathon in April 2019 where she ran a time of 2:42:03 and finished as the second Canadian Female and the 37th female overall in the international field. In 2019 she won the Tely 10 and broke the female record in a time of 54:25. (Over 1 minute faster than the previous record). The fall of 2019 she ran the Toronto half marathon placing second overall and in January 2020 ran the Houston Marathon finishing in the top 15 out of an international field and was the 2nd Canadian in a time of 2:36:46.

Douglas Redmond “Builder”

For over forty years, Douglas (Doug) Redmond has served the sporting community of Newfoundland and Labrador, doing whatever was necessary to help soccer grow and evolve in this province. His longevity as a sport executive and volunteer comes down to his passion and desire to help our province’s athletes succeed. He has been a member of numerous committees and projects over the years including the Canadian Soccer Association, various organizing committees for international friendly relations, host committees for FIFA U-16 Men’s World Cup and Men’s World Cup (in 1986), the NLSA and various others. He also served on the Canadian Soccer Organizing Committee for both the Women’s FIFA Under 20 World Cup in 2014; and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015

Doug is known for his patients and thoughtfulness when dealing with challenging situations. His primary goal was to ensure fairness, and this explains why he has been sought after to serve for many years.

In 1979 and 1984, Doug received the Charlie Bhnisch Award, for his overall promotion of soccer at the local level; and then took home the Sandy Foster Award in 1981 for his contribution to the overall development of soccer in the St. John’s region. This established Builder served as the Commissioner of the Provincial Challenge Cup from 1987 to 2000. From 1990-2000, he was elected Secretary of the NLSA and then elected as Vice-President in 2001.  In 1996 and 2015, Redmond was named SportNL Executive of the Year for his outstanding contributions and commitment to the development and promotion of soccer. The provincial Soccer Hall of Fame inducted Redmond as a Builder in 1998, just after the St. John’s Soccer Hall of Fame recognized and inducted him in 1997. Furthermore, after an exceptional year of participation with the NLSA in 2015, Redmond was named Executive of the Year.

Doug has taken a very active role in all things NLSA-related and has acted as the organization’s President since 2002.d He was recognized for his efforts again in 2002 when was named Volunteer of the Year by NLSA.  His community efforts continued in 2004 when he established the NLSA Alumni Fund, which provided funding to families in need to ensure their children could participate in elite or all-star soccer.

Doug is still very active in the sporting community and regularly participates in fundraising initiatives and various soccer events at the national, provincial and local level.

Gail (Moore) Roberts “Athlete/Builder”

Gail Roberts has greatly impacted the sporting community of Newfoundland and Labrador for 50 years. She has excelled in many sports including volleyball, basketball and field hockey. Her steady and calm approach along with a strong attention to detail has led her to succeed as an athlete, coach, administrator and official. Roberts captained the Memorial University women’s volleyball team, winning three consecutive Provincial Championships (1967- 1969) and led the team in Newfoundland and Labrador’s first ever international volleyball match in 1968. In 1967, Roberts’ competed in the first Canada Winter Games as a member of the provincial volleyball team and competed in the first Canada Winter Games in 1969 as a member of the Provincial volleyball team.

Gail began her coaching career in 1970 and attended the National Junior Volleyball Development Camp as an Apprentice Coach in 1971. Roberts served as a Provincial Volleyball and Basketball Official between 1970-1979 and was Vice President of the Newfoundland and Labrador Volleyball Association from 1973-1975. As a coach, Roberts’ won eight St. John’s High School Volleyball Championships, five Provincial High School Volleyball Championships, eight St. John’s High School Basketball Championships, six Provincial High School Basketball Championships and nine St. John’s High School Field Hockey Championships. Roberts joined the Canadian Olympic Committee in 1997 and served until 2013 as a “B” Director.

For her contribution to sport, Roberts was inducted into the Newfoundland and Labrador Volleyball and Basketball Hall of Fame.

Erin Woodrow “Athlete” 

Erin Woodrow is a trailblazer in the boxing community, not only in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, but at the national and International level as well. At the age of 14, Woodrow participated at the provincial and national level in sports such as hockey, basketball and soccer, where one day a twist of fate lead her in the direction of the boxing ring where she then fell in love with the sport. Female participation in the boxing world in the late 90s was not common, Woodrow proved to be a pioneer for women and young girls. In 1997 she won the silver medal in the Intermediate National Championships and made boxing history in Newfoundland and Labrador when she became the first female to win the Intermediate 51kg weight category at the National Championship in Sarnia, Ontario. From there, Woodrow went on to compete in her first-ever Senior National Championships where she earned the silver medal that placed her on Canada’s “B” team. After taking time to pursue her education and career that brought her to Western Canada, she naturally re-discovered her love for the sport of boxing and in 2008 she won the Western Canadian Championships and numerous other competitions throughout Canada. After winning numerous gold medals in various provincial championships in Alberta, she then became part of Canada’s Senior National Female team in 2010-11 after winning the national title. It took her all over the globe to showcase her talents, including competitions throughout the United States, the Pan American games in Brazil and the Prime Ministers Tournament in Turkey.

In 2012, after her impressive 15-year boxing career with over 85 fights under her belt with the vast majority being wins, Woodrow hung up her boxing gloves. She has since dedicated herself to developing and managing a program out of the Boys and Girls club of Calgary that focuses on building the self-esteem of girls and young women while teaching boxing fundamentals. Throughout her career she has remained the only athlete in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, to win a senior national championship in the history of the sport. Woodrow committed herself to the sport of boxing, making her a fierce competitor and now a mentor for young females who share her same passion for the sport.