FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

46th Canadian Sport Awards: Nominees unveiled, Respect Group named Presenting Sponsor for Most Trending Moment of Year Award 

 

December 4, 2023 

 

TORONTO – AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes, is proud to announce that Respect Group, a headversity company, has been named the Presenting Sponsor of the 2023 People’s Choice Award for Most Trending Moment of the Year.  

 

A dedicated partner since 2019, Respect Group has been working for nearly 20 years to eliminate bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination by inspiring a global culture of respect. Expanding its relationship with AthletesCAN, Respect Group’s name and brand will featured across a national digital campaign running from Dec. 4-19, highlighting 10 unforgettable Team Canada moments from 2023, culminating in the winner reveal on Wednesday, Dec. 20.  

 

Respect Group will also continue to offer all AthletesCAN members complimentary access to its Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders training course, which will be promoted throughout the campaign.  

 

“When AthletesCAN came to us with the opportunity to work together on their Most Trending Moment Award, we knew right away this was a great way to inspire Canadians to live our shared values,” said Respect Group co-founder and former professional hockey player Sheldon Kennedy. “The 10 moments nominated by our sport partners are about more than just success on the field of play – some of them are tied to victories and defeats, but what makes them stand out is their power to make us laugh, cry, and stand up and cheer. Most importantly, these moments are the moments that inspire us to be better people.” 

 

Created in 2020, the People’s Choice Award for Most Trending Moment of the Year Presented by Respect Group, is the final honour to be bestowed as part of the 46th Canadian Sport Awards, which were recognized at the 2023 AthletesCAN Forum in Vancouver.  

 

The award honours a current or retired national team athlete who has captured the virtual world by storm. It highlights the magic that lives within sport to inspire and motivate all Canadians through innovative use of a digital platform, captivating athletic performance, or who’s digital actions have been a force for good.  

 

The year’s campaign was deferred until the conclusion of the 2023 Pan and Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in order to have the opportunity the celebrate these moments from the entire year, including those captured on the Multisport Games stage. The 10 finalists were selected in consultation with the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Committees, as well as CBC Sports.  

 

“We appreciate the support of Respect Group for helping us elevate and amplify the amazing achievements of our national team athletes,” said CSA Committee Chair Celina Toth. “These 10 moments exemplify the best of what AthletesCAN, Respect Group, and Team Canada stand for and we’re looking forward to seeing which moment comes out on top.” 

 

Previous winners of the Most Trending Moment Award include Paralympian swimmer Danielle Kisser, with the creation of her do-it-yourself swimming pool that she used to train for the Tokyo 2020 Games; the Canadian women’s soccer team’s Olympic gold medal, and the medal performances of the 3×3 men’s and women’s basketball and wheelchair basketball teams at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.  

 

Voting for this year’s competition is now open until 11:59 p.m. PT on Saturday, Dec. 16.  

 

About Respect Group 

 Respect Group, a headversity company, was incorporated in 2004 by co-founders, Sheldon Kennedy and Wayne McNeil, to pursue their common passion: the prevention of bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD). As Canada’s leading online provider of prevention education related to BAHD, Respect Group has certified over 2.3 Million people involved in sport, schools and the workplace. Respect Group is a Certified B Corporation (bcorporation.net) 

 

About the Canadian Sport Awards  

 The Canadian Sport Awards were established in 1972 by modern day co-founders True Sport, Canadian Centre for Ethics and Sport, Canada Games Council, Commonwealth Sport Canada, and AthletesCAN to recognize and showcase excellence in Canadian sport. Since then, the CSA evolved over time to become the premier recognition event for national sporting excellence. After the 40th anniversary, the awards experienced a five-year hiatus. In 2017, AthletesCAN successfully acquired the rights to revive this staple event to once again bring together members of the sport community to honour the spirit, drive, and commitment of Canada’s international level athletes, coaches, volunteers, and sport leaders. 

 

About AthletesCAN 

AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes, is the only fully independent and most inclusive athlete organization in the country and the first organization of its kind in the world.  As the voice of over 6,000 current and recently retired Canadian national team athletes, AthletesCAN membership spans 68 sports across the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan/Parapan American, and Commonwealth Games, and those currently funded by Sport Canada competing at Senior World Championships. AthletesCAN ensures an athlete-centered sport system by developing athlete leaders who influence sport policy and, as role models, inspire a strong sport culture, through educational resources, support, training and professional development.   

Follow us on social @AthletesCAN and Join #TheCollective today. 

 

For more information, please contact: 

Alan Hudes 
Manager, Communications & Sport Partnerships 
AthletesCAN 
613-526-4025 Ext. 224 
ahudes@athletescan.ca