Kerry Galusha has won plenty of awards over the course of her curling career but the latest honour she received late last month is one which she said ranks right up there.

Galusha was named as the first winner of the Aboriginal Sports Circle of the NWTSA国际影视传媒檚 annual awards. News of the distinction got out a little earlier than planned, admitted Carson Roche, the Sports CircleSA国际影视传媒檚 events manager.

He said he was hoping to have all the awards handed out before making any sort of announcement.

SA国际影视传媒淜erry put it up (on social media) and let the cat out of the bag, so weSA国际影视传媒檒l let that one slide,SA国际影视传媒� he joked.

GalushaSA国际影视传媒檚 award ceremony was held at BullockSA国际影视传媒檚 Bistro in Old Town and it was a dinner party-type atmosphere with friends and family on hand to see her receive the honour.

SA国际影视传媒淚t felt really special,SA国际影视传媒� said Galusha. SA国际影视传媒淚 got to organize everything and invited my teammates and my family and friends were there SA国际影视传媒� just a really nice evening.SA国际影视传媒�

The Sport Award goes to an Indigenous athlete who, according to the Sports CircleSA国际影视传媒檚 description, has excelled in their respective sport at various levels of competition and has displayed commitment and dedication to training and competition. GalushaSA国际影视传媒檚 commitment to curling has never been in question as sheSA国际影视传媒檚 been playing the sport for decades, but sheSA国际影视传媒檚 also moved into the coaching ranks, working with junior curlers at the Yellowknife Curling Centre two nights a week.

SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檝e really tried to contribute to the community and to the sport of curling,SA国际影视传媒� said Galusha. SA国际影视传媒淚 have my team but ISA国际影视传媒檓 now involved with the younger curlers, including my daughter, and make sure they get to love the sport like I do.SA国际影视传媒�

Getting the call from the Sports Circle informing her of the win was a surprise, she added.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey told me I won and congratulated me and I had no idea I was even nominated,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淥ne of my really close friends had put the nomination together and I had a chance to read it afterward. It talked about how I coach and curl and my work on reconciliation, which is a very important part of my life. It was really nice to read all that.SA国际影视传媒�

While this is the first time Galusha has been honoured by the Sports Circle as a solo athlete, itSA国际影视传媒檚 the second time sheSA国际影视传媒檚 received accolades. The Koe family as a whole was honoured several years ago with a special award in recognition of their work in curling.

The plan for the awards this year was to return to the annual banquet at the Explorer Hotel but the Covid-19 outbreak in Yellowknife in the early fall scuttled those plans, said Roche.

That means the awards are being handed out the same way they were one year ago: one each week.

SA国际影视传媒淲e arenSA国际影视传媒檛 handing them out in any special order,SA国际影视传媒� said Roche. SA国际影视传媒淲hat weSA国际影视传媒檙e doing is giving the Yellowknife winners their awards first SA国际影视传媒� three of them SA国际影视传媒� and the others who live in the communities are getting theirs in January.SA国际影视传媒�

The Sports CircleSA国际影视传媒檚 board of directors liked that format and were happy that it was being done this way again, he added.

SA国际影视传媒淲e had lots of good feedback and ISA国际影视传媒檓 glad they liked it,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e were pushing to have the dinner in November but the (Covid) cases were rising so we made the call to cancel it. I actually prefer doing it this way because you get to go to the events and see how they celebrate something like this. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 more intimate and more personal.SA国际影视传媒�