Canada

Ewart Timlin

Ewart Timlin

One could not begin to write about the history of fastball in our area without at least devoting a chapter to Ewart Timlin.

Ewart was 15-years-old when he got the tap on the shoulder to take the field for the Cold Springs Men's team and in just five years he held the dual positions of player-coach, a position he would keep for the next two decades (after which he commenced a 25-year Slo-Pitch playing career). In that time Cold Springs would emerge as a fastball powerhouse.

After spending the 1960's and early '70's as a part of the Ontario Amateur Softball Association (OASA) and the Hamilton Township League, and in search of a higher level of competition, Cold Springs petitioned to join the Peterborough City League for the 1975 season. Despite misgivings about their ability to compete, Cold Springs was reluctantly added. A subsequent first place finish in the league and the OASA Intermediate C championship put those initial doubts to rest.

The following season, 1976, saw them repeat the accomplishment and then four years later, in 1980, the “Cats” captured the Ontario Senior “A” fastball championship. Still guided by Ewart, the “Cats” took home the OASA Intermediate B championship in 1989 and then came the establishment of the Masters level by the OASA in 1996.

Over the next fifteen years the reunited “Cats” participated in more than 20 Masters events, winning 2 Canadian Masters Championships, an Eastern Canadian title, plus 3 gold, 2 silver, and 3 bronze, OASA Masters Championships. In addition, the “Cats” dominated the North Bay World Senior Men's Fastball Championship in their ten appearances, winning 7 gold medals, and 2 silvers.

Along with all of the team success a multitude of individual honours have been bestowed on Ewart; Cobourg Legion Giving Back Award (2012); Honorary Vice-President of the OASA (2011/12); Ontario Masters Fastball Hall of Fame Inductee (2014) and the Hamilton Township Senior Citizen of the Year (2018).

Leo Reyns

Leo Reyns

Few individual athletes in Cobourg’s long sporting history can lay claim to a decade of sustained achievement on the level of Leo Reyns successes on the wrestling mat throughout the 1970’s.

Attending C.D.C.I. East from 1971 to 1975 Leo was an integral part of that school’s championship wrestling team, a group that was Kawartha Team Champions in four of those years. Individually, Leo won the Kawartha Championship in his weight class in 1973,1974 and 1975. He was COSSA Champion in 1973,1974 and 1975, finished as the OFSAA runner-up in 1974 and was named the school’s Most Valuable Wrestler that same year.

In his final year of high school in 1975 he claimed the OFSAA Gold Medal in the 123lb weight class, and was named the C.D.C.I. East Athlete of the Year. The fall of 1975 saw Leo further his studies at the University of Guelph. Over the next four years, Leo would be a part of the Varsity Wrestling team that won the OUAA Championship in 1976 and 1977, and finished in fourth place in the 1977 World Cup Team Championship – Freestyle Division.

Individually, in 1975, Leo won the Canadian Junior Greco-Roman Wrestling Champion, the Canadian Junior Freestyle Wrestling Bronze Medalist, and the Ontario Senior Open Freestyle Champion. In 1976 Leo captured the OUAA Wrestling Individual Championship and served as an alternate on the Canadian team for the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics. In 1977, Leo placed 4th in the World Cup Individual Freestyle competition, held in Toledo, Ohio, and in 8th place in the World Greco-Roman Championship, held in Gothenburg, Sweden.

After claiming the 142lb OUAA Wrestling Championship as well as the OUAA Wrestling Individual Championship in 1978, Leo capped off his championship career in 1980 when he was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the Ontario Senior Open Championship.

 

 

Team or Principal Name

Jeremiah Brown

Jeremiah Brown

Jeremiah Brown was at a crossroads in his life. As a teenager in Cobourg, Jeremiah participated in a variety of sports, most notably with the Midget A team that won an Ontario Hockey Federation championship in 2001-02. A Football walk-on at McMaster University, Jeremiah would make the varsity team and become a two-year starter at Offensive Tackle, along the way being recognized as the team's Most Improved Offensive Player.

After graduating Jeremiah was searching for a new athletic challenge – and he found it in rowing. Inspired by watching the Canadian Men's Eight Rowing Team win the Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Jeremiah made a vow to be a part of the same team and win the Gold at the 2012 London Olympics, a mere four years away.

A novice rower, Jeremiah and his family moved to Victoria, B.C, site of the National Rowing Team's training facilities. Upon arriving, he met Doug White, who agreed to coach him. Commencing a learn-to-row program, Jeremiah would quickly put in 1700 hours of training, and by the fall of 2009, he was representing British Columbia in the National Championships. In 2010, he captured a silver medal at the National Championships in the single sculls, and in January 2011 he was named to the national rowing team. Later that year he would claim a bronze medal at the World Championships as part of the Men's Eight. In 2012, Jeremiah would gain another bronze medal at the World Cup in Men's Eights, where in an earlier heat, his team would set a “World's Best Time” that would stand for the next eight years.

Just three weeks before the London Olympics were set to begin, Jeremiah would be named to the Canadian Men's Eights team, where he would fulfill his dream, standing on the podium after Canada won the 2012 Olympic Silver Medal. Jeremiah transitioned again shortly afterward, leaving rowing behind, throwing himself into another passion of his; music. He has also penned a best-selling memoir “The 4 Year Olympian”, and become an in-demand motivational speaker.

 

 

Team or Principal Name

Elaine Devlin

Elaine Devlin

Elaine Devlin

Born in Indian River on July 27, 1964, Elaine Devlin resided in Cobourg, Colborne, and Grafton for a decade and has maintained her athletic connections to our community ever since. Before moving to our area Elaine had already established herself athletically as an all-star goalie and a member of numerous OWHA (Ontario Women’s Hockey Association) gold medal teams and as one of the best softball pitchers in the province winning ORSA (Ontario Rural Softball Association) Midget and Junior provincial titles in 1981, 1982 and 1983 with Douro and Keene; two OCAA (Ontario Colleges Athletic Association) Silver Medal’s with Fleming College and numerous Peterborough Women’s City League titles. In 1985 she attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas on a scholarship where she played in the NCAA softball circuit. Still the holder of seven school records she was Gulf Star Conference Female Athlete of the Year; Most Outstanding Player and won a Conference Championship. Recruited to play for the Cobourg Angels, by Paul Currelly in 1984, over the next five years Elaine and her teammates medaled 9 times at the provincials, including three golds, a period of sustained excellence that was due in large part to Elaine’s pitching prowess, which didn’t go unrecognized by the opposition as she was recruited by other teams 3 different times to represent Ontario at the Canadian Championships. Since her time playing in Cobourg, Elaine has continued to contribute to the sport by coaching and attending pitching clinics during the off-season to help the next generation of hurlers hone their techniques. It would be hard to imagine an honour, accomplishment in Softball that has eluded Elaine. Beyond pitching a countless number of no-hitters and perfect games, Elaine Devlin has competed in a total of 34 Provincial championships (14 gold, 12 silver, 4 bronze), 17 Canadian championships (4 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze), and at least 5 World Championship/International competitions (1 gold, 1 bronze) and has coached at 20 Provincial championships (5 gold, 2 silver, 5 bronze), 12 Canadian championships (2 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze) and 3 World Championship/International competitions, winning gold each time.

Team or Principal Name

Hockey - Rick Seggie

Rick Seggie w-Mats Sundin

As an educator, Rick Seggie found a natural fit between his love of sports and instructing students. He strove to acquire the best information available and used that knowledge in a practical setting with both his students and athletes. He wanted to teach critical thinking in his classrooms and the skills that would allow athletes to excel in sport.

Many colleagues and fellow coaches would often describe his teachings and thought process as ‘ahead of his time’. One reason for that was that he did not only rely on his personal experience learning the sport, but focused on how the best athletes in the world excelled at all sports. What were the skills that would give his players an edge as hockey evolved into the high speed, high skill game it is today.

He knew there were experts in the field that were pushing forward new ways of training and would study them. He was interested in what could be learned from the success of the Central Red Army training methods during their reign, or other elite athletes, such as a 100 meter sprinter. What were the ways a sports psychologist would prepare athletes mentally, as well as physically.

Born in Toronto, Ontario on January 8th, 1953 and growing up in Scarborough, Rick played minor hockey in Dorset Park and West Hill, which later became the Scarborough Ice Raiders of the GTHL. This is where he developed a true love for the game. From his years of minor hockey through to University, his passion always surrounded coaching and education.

After graduating from the University of Toronto with his Bachelor of Education, Rick accepted his first teaching position in Morrisburg, Ontario. He jumped right into coaching with the local Winchester minor league in 1978-79, which is now part of the Upper Canada Minor Hockey League. In the early 80’s Rick took on a teaching position at Port Hope High School. He relocated to Peterborough, Ontario from where he would commute. Rick and his family finally moved to Cobourg, Ontario in 1983 after completing his Masters in Education.

Through his teaching years Rick was heavily involved in team sports. He first became involved in the track & field program at Port Hope High School and later took over the hockey program with many successful seasons. This led to coaching many of his students through Port Hope and Cobourg Minor hockey from the late 80’s through until the early 2000’s. His two sons, Paul and Jay, played on a few of those minor hockey teams, as well as the infamous backyard rinks that Rick would create every winter at their home in Cobourg.

His passion for teaching and learning the skills of the game was always present as he embarked on developing the sport through the Ontario Minor Hockey Association. Rick became an Advanced Level Certification N.C.C.P Instructor and spent the better part of 25 years coaching and training other coaches to become certified, along with writing many of the training manuals himself. Many local people who knew Rick, would often be surprised to see his name on the elite level coaching manuals, as he was not one to brag about his accomplishments. These programs gave Rick some unique opportunities.

Highlights during this time were working with Canada’s National team as a guest coach (with Andy Murray and Roger Neilson), to leading the N.C.C.P. Advanced Seminars with Ken Dryden. Some of Rick’s affiliations with the Toronto Maple Leaf’s were in several of the MLSE development programs with Wendel Clark and Mats Sundin.

There were also many other interests in Rick’s life with his summer charter business, taking fishing groups out on his boat ‘ABACUS’, but he was always drawn back to hockey. Along with his summers fishing he was also instrumental in working with a number of the summer hockey programs in Ontario. Coaching the Central Ontario Selects (which later became the Wolves) AAA teams in the 90’s and helping get the Lakeshore Thunder AAA program off the ground in coaching and recruiting player development.

As his teaching years continued, he took a position in the Catholic school system as Head of Special Education at St. Mary’s Cobourg in 1992. At this time, the school was undergoing a lot of growth in their athletic programs and Rick took on the Varsity hockey program. From the early 90’s until present day this program has seen substantial growth, development and exposure, from a Europe Tour in 1997, to the annual Irish Rover tournaments on the campus of Notre Dame University. Rick was also involved in coaching several of the local girl’s programs through St. Mary’s High School hockey and the Northumberland Wild in Cobourg.

His focus was always on creating a learning moment and he often found that moment in sports. He loved seeing his players develop a new skill and watch it come to life in a game. There was never any panic behind the bench of his teams, as Rick had a thoughtful approach that followed a plan as though he had experienced it all before.

We lost Rick on December 5th, 2016 but his impact on the sport of hockey, his community, and the schools he taught at will never be forgotten.

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Excerpts from an email to Paul Seggie from Richard Ropchan, former Executive Director of Ontario Hockey Association            

Your dad and I go back a long way during my 20 year involvement in the OMHA. As the Director of Development for my first 4 years I got to know your Dad very well and we became very close friends. We both came from a hockey coaching background and expressed the same passion for growing the game and making it more fun to play at all ages.

Your dad's personality and enthusiasm was contagious and I loved picking his brain for ideas on how to better teach the game. Being an educator most of his life he was a great communicator and had a good understanding of best teaching methods. He wasn't afraid to think outside the box and introduce new ideas to our OMHA Coach Instructors.

Rick was highly respected by his peers, someone everyone looked up to. I think Rick was a born leader. His talent, experience, passion and teaching skills were widely recognized through his involvement with HC, OHF and OMHA. He was a Master Course Conductor in the OMHA and was heavily involved in the creation and development of new coaching curriculum material for coaches. He was constantly asked to take part as a presenter at the Annual OMHA August Development Weekend.

He was always very generous with his time and willing to help out in any way whenever asked. I don't ever remember him saying no I'm too busy. Rick was also invited to attend numerous Coaching Development Seminars across the country where he was involved in committees with HC to create and write Instructional Manuals. He was also very actively involved in the OHF Coaches Development Committee which met regularly on an annual basis.

On another note, I was involved in Canada Inline and Coached the Men's National Inline Hockey Team and I asked your dad if he could help me create a National Coaching Manual for Inline Hockey. As busy as your dad was and the fact that he had very little or maybe no Inline Hockey coaching experience he still offered to give more of his precious time to help create this Coaching

Manual. We met once a week on a regular basis and before long we had created a draft copy of Coach Level I, II and III Coaching curriculum which is being used to some extent Internationally.

I think about your dad often and remember all the good times we had together. It was so sad to see him go at such a young age. He left quite a legacy behind in the Hockey Community. He always wanted to help make the game better and his enormous contributions will never be forgotten. He had a significant impact on my life and I can't express in words how much he meant to me.

 

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Excerpt from an email to Jay Seggie from Corey McNabb, Director, Hockey Development  Programs, Hockey Canada

Here are some of the projects that he was involved with from a Hockey Canada perspective:

2004/05 – Hockey Canada Skills Manuals – National Writers Group

2006/07 – Hockey Canada Mentorship Program – Specialty Clinic Writers Group

2006 – 2009 – Hockey Canada Mentorship Program – Master Facilitator

Rick Seggie brought a wealth of experience and passion to the Hockey Canada Programs that he participated in. Through his nomination by the OMHA to assist on several National Writers Groups for Hockey Canada, Rick was a welcome participant who constantly stepped up to participate whether it was through writing, review or editing as Hockey Canada resources were created or updated. His expertise in the skill development area was a welcome addition to our National Writers Groups

Once the writing was complete, Rick became very active in the delivery of those materials and resources to minor hockey coaches and players and left a legacy in that part of the game focused on improving the knowledge and ability of coaches to teach the fundamental skills to their players. Rick attended every seminar he could and was always eager to learn and contribute as a Facilitator and Master Facilitator of the on ice clinics.

Rick was the first one to send through feedback from the coaches after he spent a weekend on the ice with them receiving accolades and positive comments. His willingness to contribute and participate has had a lasting eect on 100s of coaches over the years and he is known as one of the good guys within our Hockey Canada / OMHA families as someone who could always be counted on.

 

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Officiating - Jim Bradford

Jim Bradford

JIM BRADFORD'S STORY

 

Robert James “Jim” Bradford was born on April 5, 1948. He was the oldest son of Bob and Dorise Bradford. He and his wife, Keren, raised two children, Jeanette and Scott.

During the day, he was an exemplary elementary school teacher at Dr. Powers in Port Hope. He taught in the junior division throughout his career.

Bradford's first taste of success on the field was as a player for the Cobourg Legion Bantam softball team. In 1962, they were All Ontario Champs. Seven years later he became an assistant coach with the same Legion Bantam team that he had played for. All Ontario Champs was an accomplishment Jim achieved on a number of occasions for a number of softball teams. He played for the Winchester Western Juniors and was an All Ontario Champ. Bradford later joined the ranks of the Cold Springs Cats (Intermediate C level) and once again became an all Ontario Champ in 1975 and 1976.

Jim played by the rules and lived by the rules. Officiating must have been in his blood since day one. A local sports writer once said, “Jim's love for officiating kept him busy the year round. He referees basketball, and hockey during the cold winter months”. In the summer months, Bradford could be found behind the plate during a number of league and tournament baseball games. Bradford credits his wife “… for being patient in allowing me to pursue my umpiring whenever and wherever I wanted to go”.

“Jerry Lawless, physical education at Cobourg West Collegiate, inspired Bradford's basketball officiating career by driving him to his first clinic 35 miles away”. The rest, as they say, is history. He found another sport that became his calling. He was both the founder and a referee for the South Kawartha Basketball Association. On Saturday mornings during the 90's he volunteered as a referee for the Lakeshore Basketball Association.

In 1980, Bradford met Sharon Sinclair, who was the provincial umpire-in-chief, while officiating basketball at the Ontario Summer Games in Peterborough. He later mentioned that Sinclair was the person who had the most influence on his career in officiating! 

In 1984, Jim was an arbiter for the Senior Men's National Fast Pitch Championship in Fredericton, New Brunswick. Glowing comments were evident on his National Championship Umpire Rating form where his superiors commented, “Jim is a highly competent official, who has progressed in the past number of years. He is a complete umpire who has the respect of his fellow umpires and players, when on the ball diamond”.

Since he excelled throughout the tournament, he was chosen to work the final game, which is a top honour according to fellow umpires! Also noted was the fact that Bradford was one of only two Ontario umpires chosen to officiate in the championships!

He also umpired the National Midget Boys Fastball Championships in Napanee, the Women's Worlds in Newfoundland, as well as numerous provincial tournaments.

Bradford held a number of executive positions with Softball Ontario and the National Committee. He served as the Deputy Zone Umpire in Chief, Zone Umpire in Chief, Deputy Softball Provincial Umpire in Chief, and served nationally on the ODC as a Deputy with his focus divided between Slow Pitch and Fast Pitch. Bradford founded the South Central Umpires Association and locally, he was the vice president of the Cobourg Men's Softball League.

Over the years, Bradford “ … worked on the committee preparing the exams, wrote articles for the local, provincial, national periodicals and had been published in “Referee”, with Softball Canada”. He was also a presenter at the Blue Convention in Toronto and in Fredericton.

During his time with Softball Canada, he assisted with the development of manuals and supervised at Canadian Championships in both Fast Pitch and Slow Pitch.

One of his greatest achievements was attaining elite level 5 status in fast pitch and slow pitch softball. Reaching elite level 5 status in fast ball meant he was eligible to officiate internationally. At the time, Bradford was the only umpire in the country to have achieved this dual accolade! Since 1984, when he reached the elite level 5 status, he longed to officiate at the Pan American Games.

Finally in 1987, he realized his dream by going to the Pan Am games in Indianapolis, Indiana. An experience he once described as, “… unbelievable”. He received a Certificate of Merit in recognition of his selection to the umpiring staff. He was also inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Canadian Amateur Softball Association in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 2003.

The induction solidified his status as a top level umpire in Canada. He had spent countless hours honing his skills and expertise as an umpire. Bradford passed away in 2001 and his wife, Keren, accepted the award and spoke on Jim's behalf.

Looking back over Bradford's illustrious career, he received many accolades. In memorial, The Legion Award of $500.00 was presented to an umpire going on to post secondary education. The Cobourg Angels Softball team recognized Bradford by creating an award bearing his name which was given to a young umpire who had umpired for the Angels organization. The Jim Bradford Memorial Tournament was named in Jim's honour and it was later renamed the Bradford/Cane Tournament to celebrate the contributions of both of these great men.

Jim Bradford was definitely a hometown hero! His expertise on the field and the hard court were exemplary. Bradford set the bar high for himself and those who followed in his footsteps. He was a gentleman in all aspects of life and will be remembered fondly.

In closing, I have included an article in its entirety which was written by Layton Dodge, Cobourg's sports writer extraordinaire and member of Cobourg and District Sports Hall of Fame.

By Bryan Marjoram

*****

Layton Dodge,  Cobourg Sentinel Star, July 24, 1968

The young player of the Cobourg softball scene whom I personally admire more than any other is Jim Bradford, the 20-year-old catcher of Hillier's Juniors.

I respect him for his ability and his attitude, for his exemplary conduct and character.

During a game, Jim is the inspiration and the perspiration of his team. Call it hustle, drive or just plain desire, but Bradford's got it. The 165-pound bundle of energy gives 100 per cent in every game. He never quits.

As the club's salt and pepper player, Jim spews forth a steady stream of chatter and encouragement from his crouch behind the plate. I believe he keeps the Juniors alert and alive. As the quarterback of the team, he braves the rough body blocks of barreling-in base runners and the clouds of dust which go with it, pounces on bunts and pop ups, shakes off foul tips off his fingertips, often outraces the batter or runner to cover up at first or third on errant throws by teammates, and calls the shots for his battery mates to render tangible leadership.

At bat, he drops bunts, wheedles walks, and bangs out crisp line drives. Whatever he is called upon to do on a ball field he never fails to carry it out to the best of his ability. All these combined attributes have made him the top receiver in our Town League for the past three years.

The best compliment you can pay Jim Bradford is to say he came to play … he came to beat you … fair and square. As an acknowledged holler guy (not in the sour connotation of the team) Jim occasionally jabs with a verbal needle. Yet, he's never offensive or crude. He possesses the knack of being able to dispute the accuracy of the umpire's judgment without incurring his wrath.

Unlike some of his contemporaries, Jim is unspoiled by his athletic successes as a young-star. He is neither selfish, nor temperamental, foolhardy or obscene, stubborn or vain. Rather, he is honest and thoughtful, clear-cut and sensible, intense and eager to learn. In a world replete with individual glory and apathy, his approach to life in general, and to sport in particular, is a refreshing change of pace.

It has been said more than once that impressionable youngsters frequently pick up bad habits by copying what they see and hear from players in our Town League. Those boys who try to emulate Jim Bradford can't possibly go far wrong, however.

In my book, this soon-to-be school teacher is one heckuva fine ballplayer and a gentleman personified to boot. That's why he is a particular favourite of mine.

 

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Archery-Andrew Fagan (Dr)

Andrew Fagan


Archery - Andrew Fagan (Dr)

Northumberland chiropractor makes the best of shortened archery season

Dr. Andrew Fagan becomes No. 1 ranked archer in Canada, again

 

Northumberland News, Oct 22, 2020

Countless hours spent practising and training at home during the COVID-19 lockdown have paid off for local chiropractor Dr. Andrew Fagan, who has become the No. 1 ranked compound archer in Canada.

Fagan, a chiropractor at the Port Hope Health Centre, said he is lucky with his sport since participants are able to space out on a large field, stay in their lanes and have a safe event with limited amounts of people.

 

After competing at numerous events, he was able to cumulate scores that landed him on top of the national ranking list for the 2020 season.

“I am very happy with the success I had this year with the limited amounts of events available,” Fagan said. “(It) would have been nice to stand shoulder to shoulder with all the guys at outdoor nationals, hopefully we get to do it next year on Prince Edward Island.”

 

At the last event of the season Fagan was also able to achieve a new national record.

“(It) was good to finish the year on a high note. It has been a grind keeping up with my training plan, especially during the lockdown months, but in the end the results showed all the hard work put in behind the scenes,” he said.

He said archery, like other competitive sports, was on pause from mid-March through to the end of July.

 

As of Aug. 1, archery clubs across Canada began running COVID-19 safe outdoor national ranking events.

Earlier this year during the winter, he also had a successful indoor tournament season winning gold in both the national and provincial regional championships.

 

Fagan, 34, a resident of Baltimore, has been competing in archery for 26 years, has been a No. 1 ranked archer in Canada previously, and has been a member of the compound national team since 2007.

He has competed at the world championships, world cup circuit, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Championships, Canada Winter Games and was also a torch bearer for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.
 

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Northumberland archer Andrew Fagan returns from nationals with gold, silver

 

Sarah Hyatt, Northumberland News, Sep 24, 2019

When he’s not working at the Port Hope Health Centre, there’s a good chance you’ll find Dr. Andrew Fagan with a bow.
“I first shot a bow when I was about six or seven,” says Fagan.


About a year or so later, Fagan would go on to compete in his very first tournament, at just eight years old.
Fagan learned the sport from his dad and grandpa, and as soon as he could pull a bow back, he says, he got right in there with them.
Twenty-five years later, Fagan’s still going strong. Not only does he still love it, he’s continuing to shoot his way to some pretty serious wins.
The 33-year-old chiropractor from Baltimore just returned home with gold and silver, after competing at the 2019 Canadian National Archery Championships.


He’s once again ranked as the No. 1 compound archer in Canada. Fagan’s been a member of Canada’s national team since 2007.
The 2019 national championships were hosted in Saskatchewan in August. Fagan took wins in field and target archery.


With the field event, archers shot three arrows at 24 target stations, with each of these stations set up at various distances and with targets varying in size depending on the distance. With a score of 396 in the event, Fagan took gold in the men’s compound division.
And he didn’t stop there.


Next, Fagan went on to compete in the target archery championship round.
Target archery involves shooting at a target 50 metres away. The total target face size is 80 centimetres in diameter, with the bull's-eye (or 10 ring) measuring just eight centimetres, explains Fagan.
First, Fagan says, archers had to shoot a qualification round to rank and be seeded into a bracket to shoot head to head in the finals at the Canadian Open on the last day.

 

Despite some windy conditions and a couple of technical issues with equipment, Fagan finished in the top three heading into the finals.
The finals featured the top 32 archers shooting head to head in what’s described as a bracket-style format for a 15-arrow match.
Advancing to the semifinals, Fagan says, he had a tight matchup right to the end, with the No. 1 seed after qualification. He earned his shot at gold after finishing with a maximum score of three perfect 10s.

 

Fagan went on to earn silver in the gold-medal matchup after he was defeated by a two-point margin.
After committing to eight weeks of consistent training and preparation to compete at the nationals and stepping onto the podium twice, he says he feels pretty good.

 

Previously, Fagan has competed at world championships, the Commonwealth Games, the World Cup circuit, the Pan American Championships, and the Canada Winter Games. He was also a torch bearer for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games.

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Baltimore's Andrew Fagan shoots his way to world archery championships in Mexico City

 

Northumberland News, Aug 29, 2017

Andrew Fagan, a 31-year-old chiropractor from Baltimore, Ont., has won a spot on the Canadian archery national team destined for the world championships in Mexico City this October.

Fagan, originally from Ajax, competed in Montreal at national team trials on Aug. 5 to 7 and emerged with the most points of the three men who will represent Canada.

 

The top 16 male and female qualified archers in the country were invited for two days of head-to-head shooting to determine the team.  
The first day consisted of a 720-round score, shot at a distance of 50 metres on a 80-centimetre target face. The 10-ring, or bull's-eye, measures eight centimetres in diameter. Archers shoots 12 ends of six arrows to complete the four-hour, 72-arrow round.  

In difficult cold and windy conditions, Fagan was able to hold his own and finish first place for the day, well ahead of the group to earn crucial trial points toward the team.

 

With the field cut to eight archers on the second day, when every archer faced each other in head-to-head, 15-arrow matches, Fagan won six out of seven matches to finish first place overall for the round-robin day. He also pushed further ahead of the group with a match arrow average of 9.8, earning further trial points.  

The final team consists of Fagan, who earned 36 trial points, Robbie Nott from London (24) and Luc Martin from New Brunswick (22).

 

“It’s great to finish first at trials,” he said. “The competition was stiff, but I was fortunate to edge these guys out over the two days. These guys pushed me pretty good. I think we have a strong team going to Mexico.”  

The world championship is a special event for compound archers, occurring only every two years.

 

Directly following the trails, Montreal also hosted the Archery Canada national championships with a much larger pool of hundreds of archers from across the country.


Fagan continued to shoot well and finished with a silver medal in both the field and target championships.  

 

“It was a long 10-day trip of competing basically every day, all day,” he explained. “I think a lot of us archers had some amount of competition burnout going on, but myself and fellow national team members did well and finished strong at nationals after trials.”

 

Currently ranked as the No. 1 compound archer in Canada, Fagan has competed at world championships, Commonwealth Games, Pan American Championships and Canada Winter Games, and was a torch bearer for the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games.

When not shooting, he is a practising chiropractor at the Port Hope Health Centre.

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Port Hope’s Andrew Fagan doesn’t crack under national archery pressure


Chiropractor wins 10th national title

 

Todd McEwen, Northumberland News, Sep 16, 2015

As a full-time chiropractor, Dr. Andrew Fagan doesn’t have a lot of free time.

He splits his six-day work week between his office in Pickering and Port Hope, travelling home to Bowmanville every night to relax for a few hours before he’s back to the daily grind.

“I work a lot,” he said.

Which is what makes his recent athletic achievement all that more impressive. When Dr. Fagan isn’t treating back and neck pain, he’s competing at a national level as an archer. It’s been a sport he’s invested time and money in for 22 years, and he’s now at the point in his career where he doesn’t need to practise at length to win championships.

 

He recently returned from Winnipeg where he claimed his 10th national compound archery championship. He was up against the best and most competitive archers in Canada. His competitors are familiar with him, just as he is with them. He knows most of them have nothing but time to hone their skills in their personal indoor arenas and acres of property. He’s best known for being a modest doctor who squeezes in a competition when he can and continues to win, year after year.

“It’s always been a hobby, it’s still even a hobby, even though I’m one of the top archers in the country,” he said, “I work. I work six days a week. The other guys just shoot. That’s all they do.”

 

Dr. Fagan’s been involved in athletics his entire life. He started, like most young Canadians, learning to glide on a pair of skates before picking up archery as a hobby 22 years ago. He was even drafted to the Ontario Hockey League’s Peterborough Petes club in 2001.

It wasn’t until university that Dr. Fagan sidelined the nation’s pastime in favour of studying for his degree. When he wasn’t cramming for exams, he turned to his trusty bow to help relax.

“It was something to do to keep me sane,” he laughed. “Instead of going to the library and studying all the time. I just went and shot my bow for something to do.”

 

Since then, he and his bow have travelled the world. Two years ago, he finished 33rd in world championships in Turkey. Finishing top 40 was more than enough for the smalltown chiropractor.

“It was good for me -- a chiropractor that doesn’t practice that much,” he laughed.

During that competition, the worst-case scenario for archers unfolded: ferocious wind.


“That was the worst ones I’ve ever been in,” he said. “We had 50- to 70-km winds, it was crazy ... (this year’s) nationals was nothing compared to that.”

 

This year’s national competition faced its own case of severe wind.

“For some reason Winnipeg’s always windy when we have nationals there,” he said.

He believes if it wasn’t for the wind, he wouldn’t have been able to sneak ahead on the scoreboard during the first day and maintain a solid lead heading into the second round.

“On the competition days it was really windy and gusty,” he said. “That affects things quite a bit. But I’ve been doing it for so long I have a pretty good idea on how to pick your time to shoot into the wind. A lot of the other guys got frustrated and made goofy mistakes, so I was able to sneak ahead and stay ahead in the second day.”

 

Dr. Fagan said it usually takes about 20 to 30 seconds to load a bow, sight the target, pull back and release an arrow. Patience is key when wind is amuck, he said, because a typical shot won’t co-operate with Mother Nature’s invisible force.

“Some people take a little bit longer,” he said. “If there’s a break in the wind, I might load it up, get it in, pull back and shoot in 10 seconds where as other times I’m standing there waiting for a full minute, and I won’t bother to draw because it’s too windy.”

By the end of the second day, Dr. Fagan knew he could maintain the lead, as long as he “didn’t screw it up”. In the final hour-and-a-half stretch, he had 36 arrows left to shoot.

 

“Thirty-six arrows doesn’t sound like a lot, but it takes some time to get through it,” he said, adding his bow weighs about 60 pounds, which he holds straight out with one arm. “My mentality went from trying to hit the middle every time and pushing forward to just taking it easy, put them in there and stay ahead.”

His strategy unfolded in his favour and he took home another trophy to add to his mantle. How did his competition feel about it?

“No one knows how I do it,” he said. “I feel bad, too, because some of them will ask me, ‘Are you shooting more now?’ and I say, ‘Not really, no’.

 

“They say to become an expert, you need to put in 10,000 hours. I’ve passed that a long time ago.”
 

 

 

 

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Running-Gail Johns

Gail Johns

 

Gail Johns-Rees was born in Cobourg on February 10, 1955 and has the distinction of being the first female athlete from Cobourg to qualify for OFSSA.

 

Gail was a member of the CDCI West Track and Field Team from 1969-1974.  She set records in the 200M and 400M races at Kawarthas and COSSA, in the 60M, 100M, 200M and 400M at South Kawarthas, and qualified to compete in the 200M and 400M races at OFSSA. 

 

When Gail arrived at CDCI West in 1969, she was sought out by the late Jerry Lawless; having heard of her running accomplishments in elementary school, he insisted she attend track and field training on the back lawn of the high school.

 

   An opportunity that changed her life.

 

Along with the many medals Gail received and the records she set over the years at track events, she also received the “Female Athlete Award” from the Cobourg Legion in 1972.

 

CDCI West dedicated the “Johns Trophy for Outstanding Track Performance” in recognition for her accomplishments. The trophy went on to be presented to athletes for 42 years until it was retired when CDCI West closed its doors. 

 

Gail had the honour of presenting the trophy for the last time in 2015.

 

After high school Gail started distance running, competing for years in 5ks and 10ks, and ran marathons in Toronto, Ottawa, Washington, and Boston. 

 

In 1994 Gail and her family moved to New Hampshire and at the age of 47, she discovered Masters Track and Field and returned to sprinting and her high school habits of breaking records! 

 

As a member of the Mass Velocity Track Club, she has been a nationally ranked masters sprinter for the past 20 years, competing in 50M, 60M, 100M, 200M, and 400M races. 

 

Gail has earned 17 USA National Masters Track medals, one of which she ran a leg of the 4X100 relay with the Canadian team and helped them win gold at the USA Masters National Meet in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2006. 

 

The singlet Gail wore when she represented the Canadian team was given to her by Karla Del Grand, Female Athlete of the Decade, World Masters Athletics. 

 

Gail has set 13 New Hampshire state records in the 50M, 60M, 100M, 200M, and 400M and has received five “Best Performance by a New Hampshire Athlete” awards from New Hampshire state meets between 2010 and 2019. 

 

She also has many state level medals from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Maine and has competed at venues such as Stanford, Harvard, and Boston universities and the Penn State relays where not only masters compete, but also elite high school students and Olympians.

 

Three records set in September 2021 qualify Gail to compete at the May 2022 Senior Nationals Track and Field meet in Fort Lauderdale.

 

In 2015, while sprinting to the finish line in a 200M race, Gail’s right Achilles tendon completely ruptured a few metres from the finish line causing her to fall and fracture her right shoulder. 

 

After surgery, being in a wheelchair initially, and two years of intensive rehab, Gail came back from that challenge to set five of the records noted above.

 

In 2021, Gail and three of her masters’ teammates were featured on a New Hampshire TV station to promote the fitness, health, camaraderie, and competition benefits of masters track field. 

 

Gail’s masters track life has included many years of competing at college and university meets, not only masters’ specific meets; she really enjoys being with young athletes and they are encouraged by the fact that competing on the track can truly be a lifetime sport.

 

It has been decades since Gail was on the back lawn of CDCI West where it all began, but she says to this day, “As I step onto the track and settle into the starting blocks, Mr. Lawless is still with me.”

 

By Elizabeth Johns-Dickson

 

 

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Softball-Margie Matthews

Marg Matthews

 
Softball-Margie Matthews

by Patsy (Currelly) Hand

Margaret Anne Matthews was born on May 15, 1960, in Cobourg. From a very young age, Margie was an abundantly talented, multi-sport athlete who consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership. Her enthusiasm was contagious.

 

While in high school at CDCI West, 1974-1979, she played each year on the basketball, volleyball and badminton teams. She was on the track team and participated in javelin, discus, shotput and the 4 x 100 relay teams. It was in javelin that she excelled. In 1978 she was voted MVP of the basketball team, the volleyball team, she received a coaching award and was the school’s Athlete of the Year.

 

She was also awarded Cobourg's Athlete of the Year that year. In 1979, CDCI West created the “Matthews Award" which was presented to students for performance and leadership. After high school she played varsity hockey and basketball. She has been awarded Athletic Letters at all levels of school: public, high school and university levels.


Margie burst onto the provincial softball stage at the age of 12 when she played for David and Clarke Sommerville’s  Sinclair Mustangs. They were successful in capturing the Ontario Novice Championship in 1972. Here is how David recalls Margie’s contribution to the win in the qualifying tournament leading up to the finals….


At 14, Margie Matthews joined Paul Currelly’s Cobourg Angels Juvenile softball team and competed against players that were 18 and 19 years of age.
Margie’s talents continued to shine. While playing with the Angels, she won two more Ontario Titles at the Junior B level in 1975 and 1976. In 1977, Paul decided to start a Midget Cobourg Angel team and as Margie was still eligible to play at this level, he built the team around her.

She was the captain that year and won the batting championship. Her determination, positivity and talent motivated the team to achieve a higher standard of play. She continued to play with the Angels and won an Ontario title in 1979 (Juvenile). Comments from her coach, Paul Currelly follow: 

Margie left Cobourg for university and played Senior Tier I fastball with the Kitchener Kieswetters. She returned to Cobourg in 1984(Senior Tier II) and helped the Cobourg Angels win another Ontario Title. In 1985 Margie started a full-time job in New Hamburg and again left the area and played Senior Tier I softball with Kitchener.

She won their outstanding player award that year. In 1986 she was picked up by an opposing team, the St. Clements Suns to attend Expo ’86, a mini world tournament in Vancouver. In 1989 her team, the St. Clements Suns won an Ontario Senior Tier I Championship and went to the Canadians, placing 4th.

Margie continues to be an amazing athlete as a golfer. She has won 18 Club Championships (Stratford (16) & Craigowan-Oxford (2)). She played for team Ontario in 2004 and won a Canadian interprovincial title.

 

She won an Ontario 4-ball Tournament with MaryAnn Hayward in 2007 and an Ontario mid-Am tournament in 2009 (73-75-69). In 2011 she made the Ontario senior team that won a Canadian interprovincial title. She had a Golf Ontario Mid-Am ranking of 4th and 5th in 2009-2011.

Margie has not only been an amazing athlete but she also has coached volleyball and badminton at the high school level, coached softball at the Midget level and was assistant coach to the 1990 Cobourg Angels Senior Tier I fastball team that won the Ontario title and then went to the Canadian championship and placed 4th. She was a Softball Canada clinic instructor and has refereed volleyball, basketball and umpired softball.  

As an athlete Margie has had many accomplishments in multiple sports and continues to add to these accomplishments but it is her talent, her work ethic, her enthusiasm and her love for sports that raises her above her peers.

 

Biography

COBOURG DISTRICT COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE (CDCI) WEST HIGH SCHOOL - 1974-1979

1974 - 1979 Participated on basketball, volleyball, badminton, and track & field (javelin, discus, shotput and 4x100 relay) teams. (Lots of awards) 

1975 - won midget javelin (92' 4") & discus(74') both South Kawartha records, Kawartha javelin (92'6") and placed 6th at C.O.S.S.A.

1978 - MVP basketball, MVP volleyball, Coaching Award, Athlete of the Year

1978 - Cobourg Athlete of the Year

1979 - Won Senior South Kawartha javelin  (98'5"), won Kawartha Singles badminton

1977 - 1979 President co-ed Athlete Association

1979 - Awarded newly created 'Matthews Award' for Performance and Leadership (awarded annually until school closed)

1979 - awarded 'Citizenship Award' (Burnett - Drope)

Awarded public school, high school and university athletic letters

Refereed volleyball and basketball throughout high school

Umpired one summer, girls Cobourg softball


SOFTBALL/FASTBALL

1972 - Ontario Novice Champions 'Sinclair Mustangs'

1975 - Ontario Junior B Champions, 'Cobourg Angels'

1976 - Ontario Junior B Champions, 'Cobourg Angels' (team was voted Cobourg Athlete of the Year)

1979 - Ontario Juvenile A Champions, 'Cobourg Angels'

1984 - Ontario Sr Tier II Champions, 'Cobourg Angels'

1986 - St. Clements Suns picked Margie up to attend the Expo 86 'mini world fastball tournament', held in Vancouver, B.C. Teams participating were  from Japan, China, New Zealand, Australia, USA, Chinese-Taipei and the host Vancouver team

1989 - Ontario Sr Tier I Champions, Cambridge/St. Clements Suns

1989 - National Sr Tier I Championships Cambridge/St. Clements Suns (finished 4th)

1990 - Ontario Sr Tier I Champions, Asst. Coach, 'Cobourg Angels' 

1990 - National Sr Tier I Championships, Asst. Coach, 'Cobourg Angels' (finished 4th)


POST HIGH SCHOOL

1979 - 1980 Centennial College varsity College hockey- Co-MVP

1980 - 1981 Wilfrid Laurier University- varsity basketball team- Voted Rookie of the Year

1981 - 1982 Wilfrid Laurier University- varsity basketball team

1983 - 1989 competitive Senior womens  hockey- Kitchener and St Clements


COACHING

1978 - Midget girls volleyball - CDCI West

1979 - Midget girls volleyball - CDCI West

1983 - Badminton - CDCI West

1983 - Stratford Midget girls softball team

1983 - Softball Canada - clinic instructor

1990 - Cobourg Angels, assistant coach, senior fastball team


GOLF - 1993-present

2004 - made Ontario women's amateur team by placing 4th at ON tourney
- team Ontario won Canadian inter-provincial title

2007 - won Ontario 4-ball tournament with MaryAnn Hayward

2009 - won Ontario Mid-Am title at Markland Woods (73-75-69)

2011 - made Ontario senior team by placing 3rd at ON tournament
- team Ontario won Canadian inter-provincial title
- placed 8th at Canadian tournament at Whitevale G.C.

2009 - 2011 Golf Ontario mid-am ranking 4th and 5th 2009-2011

Won 16 Stratford Club championships, 2 at Craigowan-Oxford


 

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Strength-Kevin Fast

Kevin Fast

 

Kevin Fast

Born: April 13, 1963, St. Catharines, ON

Family:

Wife- Suzanne
Children – Abigail, Jacob, Matthew

Education:

North Park Collegiate, Brantford, ON.  Diploma  1982
McMaster University B.A. 1998. (Bachelor)
Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, St. Catharines, M.Div., 1992.(Master)
Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., D.Min., 2002.(Doctor)

Strength Sports:

Heavy Events amateur competitor 1994-1996
Heavy Events professional competitor 1996- still going
Games organizer 1996- still going
Competed in Canada, USA, Scotland, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, China, Singapore, Thailand and Germany

World Records:

Guinness World Record 1998– Heaviest truck pulled over 100ft – 16 ton
Ripley’s Record            1999– Heaviest trucks pulled over 100ft -2x16 ton
Guinness World Record 2001– Heaviest truck pulled over 100ft. – 27 ton
Guinness World Record 2003– Heaviest truck pulled over 100ft. – 28 ton
Guinness World Record 2004– Heaviest truck pulled over 100ft. – 51.4 ton
Guinness World Record 2007-  Heaviest truck pulled over 100ft  - 63 ton
Guinness World Record 2008– Heaviest truck pulled with arm wrestling – 8.5 ton

Guinness World Record 2008-  Most people walking on stilts for 100 m

Guinness World Record 2008-  Heaviest truck pulled over 100ft - 63.2 ton

Guinness World Record 2009-  Heaviest plane pulled – 208 ton

Guinness World Record 2010-  Lifted and held 500kg for longest time 42s

Guinness World Record 2010- Heaviest House pulled 40 ton

Guinness World Record 2011- Heaviest truck pulled with arm wrestling– 12 ton

Guinness World Record 2011– Heaviest vehicle pulled by two people – 75 ton

Ripley’s Record             2011– Most people back lifted – 22 people

Guinness World Record 2011– Lifted and held 500 kg for longest time 60s

Guinness World Record 2011-  Most people lifted with shoulders – 10 people

Guinness World Record 2013–Heaviest truck pulled with arm wrestling–12.5 ton

Guinness World Record 2013-  Most people lifted with shoulders – 11 people

Guinness World Record 2013-  Most cabers tossed in 3 minutes - 14

Guinness World Record 2013-  Heaviest sled pulled by Santa – 17.5 ton

World Record 2013- Stan Lee's Superhumans- Heaviest truck pulled - 140 ton

Guinness World Record 2014– Most cabers tossed simultaneously - 52

Guinness World Record 2014– Most cabers tossed in 3 min. by two people - 11

Guinness World Record 2014– Most cars pulled 5 meters – 15

Guinness World Record 2015- Most cabers tossed simultaneously - 69

Guinness World Record 2015- Most cabers tossed in 3 min by 2 people– 15

Guinness World Record 2016– Heaviest truck pulled with arm wrestling – 16 ton

Guinness World Record 2016– Heaviest vehicle pulled by two people– 91 ton

Guinness World Record 2016– Heaviest vehicle pulled by one person– 75 ton

Guinness World Record 2017– Heaviest vehicle pulled by one person– 109 ton

Guinness World Record 2017– Heaviest vehicle pushed by one person-  12 tons

Guinness World Record 2017– Heaviest vehicle pulled in seated position–12 tons

Guinness World Record 2018– Most cabers tossed in one hour – 122

Guinness World Record 2020-  Heaviest sled pulled – 18 ton

 

World Records set in Canada, USA, Italy, China.

Height: 5’ 9”
Weight: 300 lbs.

Charities:

Pulled trucks to raise money for:

Pull for Kids (Lung Association – Asthma)
Waumer Walk (ALS)

Tim Horton’s Kid’s Camp

Soldier On

McDonald’s Children’s Charities
Fire Prevention Week

Habitat for Humanity

Alzheimer’s Society

TV appearances:

TLC “World’s Most Awesome Record Breakers”
TBS, “Ripley’s Believe It or Not”
CTV “Canada AM”
CBC “The X”
Global “News Special”
Global “100 Huntley St.”
City TV “Breakfast TV”
Real TV
Discovery Channel “Record Breakers”
Documentary, “Good to Finish”
Discovery Channel “Daily Planet.”

ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox “Regis and Kelly”, “Anderson” “Steve Harvey”

AT&T Uverse – Record Breakers

History Channel - Stan Lee Super Humans

 

Museums:

Shoes are on display at Ripley’s Believe It or Not Museum, St. Augustine, Florida
Shoes are on display at Guinness World Records Museum, Niagara Falls, Canada

 

Books and Magazines:

Guinness Desk top calendar 1999
Guinness World Book of Records 2003
Guinness World Book of Records 2004
Guinness World Book of Records 2005

Guinness World Book of Records 2009

Guinness World Book of Records 2010

Guinness World Book of Records 2011

Guinness World Book of Records 2012

Guinness World Book of Records 2013

Guinness World Book of Records 2014

Guinness World Book of Records 2015

Guinness World Book of Records 2016

Guinness World Book of Records 2017

Guinness World Book of Records 2018

Guinness World Book of Records 2020

Guinness World Book of Records 2021

Ripley’s Believe It or Not 2005 (Blue Ed.)
Ripley’s Believe It or Not 2005 (Scholastic)
Ripley’s Believe It or Not “Odd-inary People”  

Ripley’s Believe It or Not 2011, 2013

Muscle and Fitness April 2005 (Ten Greatest Strength Feats)
Muscle and Fitness December 2005

Sports Illustrated Dec.11, 2009 Best Pictures of the Year

ESPN The Magazine Sept. 21, 2010

 

 

Sport Team or Name This Story is about

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