Drew Williams was the MC for the NWT Sport Hall of Fame induction ceremony at the Explorer Hotel on Nov. 23 and came up with a line that summed up the evening perhaps as well as anyone could have:

SA国际影视传媒淵ou'll notice there are little packages of Kleenex at your tables SA国际影视传媒� we figured you might need them.SA国际影视传媒�

How right he was.

The class of 2018 is officially part of history as Abe Theil, Robin Mercer-Sproule and the 1970 Centennial Canoe Race team from Fort McPherson were inducted into the hall. Theil entered the hall in the builders category for both his work in building the sport of volleyball to where it is today and as a member of the board of directors for Sport North, which included a stint as president between 2001 and 2009.

In his speech, Theil said he was simply a member of a much bigger team.

SA国际影视传媒淚t was a team effort over the years I was involved in volleyball, which I still am, and at Sport North,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲ithout the other board members, staff and other volunteers who did so much work, a lot of the work wouldn't have gotten done.SA国际影视传媒�

Theil also acknowledged the role played by the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs, especially the sport and recreation division.

SA国际影视传媒淭hey could always do more,SA国际影视传媒� he joked. SA国际影视传媒淏ut you can only do what you can with the resources you have and everything gets done with the support of individuals. That's how things get done SA国际影视传媒� government, paid staff and volunteers all working together to get things done.SA国际影视传媒�

The canoe team from Fort McPherson entered into the team category, recognized for their victory in the race to celebrate the NWT's centennial year in 1970. They were up against other teams from around the territory as well as teams from Alberta and Yukon. The race began in Fort Providence and went up the Mackenzie River with the finish line in Inuvik.

The team of captain Philip Blake, Woody Elias, Fred Vittrekwa, SA国际影视传媒淒elta JoeSA国际影视传媒� Vittrekwa, John Itsi and Joseph Kaye ended up as the winners.

Only Itsi and Kaye are still alive and both were on hand to accept their honour that evening.

Itsi spoke on behalf of the duo and said it was a grueling 17 days of competition.

SA国际影视传媒淭hat summer in 1970 was one of the most exciting times of my life,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e were racing the best in the NWT. All the teams in that race were strong and were well-conditioned athletes. We had to give it our all to come out on top.SA国际影视传媒�

The final inductee was Mercer-Sproule into the athletes category and she was what Williams meant when he referenced the Kleenex.

Mercer-Sproule is, without question, one of the most well-rounded athletes the NWT has ever produced as she played in several sports at a high level: figure skating, basketball, broomball, volleyball, softball and hockey, the latter of which remains her true love.

SA国际影视传媒淚 was basically a rink rat,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚 practically lived at the Gerry Murphy Arena. I even worked the concession stand and did whatever. When I wasn't figure skating, I became fascinated with hockey.SA国际影视传媒�

It was Mike Spratt who put Mercer-Sproule in her first pair of hockey skates after one of her figure skating practices and the rest is history.

SA国际影视传媒淚 thought to myself 'no toe picks, this is awesome',SA国际影视传媒� she joked. SA国际影视传媒淚'm not going to fall and I'm doing good. I love this.SA国际影视传媒�

For all the battles Mercer-Sproule has gone through, she's going through perhaps the toughest of them all as she is fighting stage-four breast cancer, which has metastasized to other parts of her body, and it's incurable.

She said the friendships she's made over the years is what's helping her in the fight against what she called SA国际影视传媒渢his stupid diseaseSA国际影视传媒�.

SA国际影视传媒淚 fight as hard as I do because of what I learned from sport,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淟ike sports, you're in a game where you may be winning or you may be losing but the whole time, you never give up. You give it your best the whole game. You're not going to give in and stop playing because you may be losing. The passion to try and win is still there and you have to go out and give it your best and hope for the best outcome. I stay as positive as I can and whatever the outcome, I can honestly say I am a winner. If I lose the battle, I won because I never gave up.SA国际影视传媒�