Archive for February 5, 2015

Race Director Wins Community Sport Hero Award

Peter RuddCongratulations to our Race Director and Past President, Peter Rudd for winning a Community Sport Hero Award from PacificSport Okanagan and the City of Kelowna.

A Community Hero Sport Award is awarded to an individual who has contributed significantly to Kelowna through their voluntary service to amateur sport.

Peter Rudd is now in his 8th year as an integral volunteer serving Kelowna’s very own Interior Savings Across The Lake Swim (ATLS). He is a founding board member of the Across the Lake Swim Society, and has served as the President, Vice President, and now the Past President since its inception in 2009. He is now in his 4th year as Race Director as well, and he has overseen the exceptional growth of this event in these years. The ATLS is ranked as the number 15 top swim in the world, is the oldest and largest open water swim in Canada, and is poised to have over 1000 entries in 2015, with average growth of 20-30% in each of the last 8 years.

Peter has also been integral in developing a team that is up to the challenge of delivering our event, and he has found a worthy cause for the proceeds of the event. Funding now supports swimming lessons to every Grade 3 child in School District #23 (the Central Okanagan), some 1500 kids from Peachland to Lake Country! Our event now has a close relationship with the Okanagan Y and together we are drown-proofing a generation of kids, by providing swimming lessons, what we regard as a life skill.

Congratulations Peter!