Premier’s Award given to top athletes

The Yukon government announced the recipients of the 2021 Premier’s Award of Sport Excellence in a press release on Feb. 21, 2022.

This year, nine recipients in seven sports are being given the award.

The awards are given to individuals in recognition of achieving a “level of excellence in their sport” or a “level of special accomplishment in their sport.”

The 2021 winners are Jessica Frotten, a wheelchair racer for Team Canada at the 2020 Paralympic Games; Dahria Beatty, a cross-country skier for Team Canada at the World Ski Championships; Dylan Cozens, a silver medalist at the World Junior Ice Hockey Championships; Laura Eby, the women’s MVP at the Canadian Curling Club Championships; Etienne Geoffroy-Gagnon, a freestyle skier competing on the World Cup and in the Dew Tournament for Freestyle Skiing; Terry Miller, the men’s MVP at the Curling Canada Mixed Nationals; Nadia Moser, a biathlete for Team Canada at the IBU World Championships; Graham Nishikawa, a cross-country skiing guide for Brian McKeever at the Para Nordic Skiing World Cup; and Mara Roldan, a mountain biker for Team Canada at the World Championships and National Championships.

“I’m extremely proud of this year’s sport award recipients and our territory’s dedication to sport and recreation,” Premier Sandy Silver said in the release. “This past year, and with the ongoing pandemic, athletes around the world faced many challenges. I’m both appreciative of and impressed by how our athletes, coaches, supporting staff and sport and recreation organizations continue to meet these challenges with ingenuity and determination.”