‘It means a lot to represent the town and the community,’ says Spencer Shropshire who was recognized at a ceremony Wednesday night.

A steady stream of handshakes and loud applause filled the Orillia Waterfront Centre Wednesday night as Spencer Shropshire stepped forward to accept a recognition that reflects years spent on fairways and practice greens across the province and beyond.

The 17-year-old Orillia golfer has been named the city’s Athlete of the Year after another standout season, one that further cemented his place among Canada’s top junior players. Shropshire was also a finalist for the award last year.

Mayor Don McIsaac praised both his results and his potential.

“For someone as young as you, the achievements you’ve accomplished are incredible,” McIsaac said to Shropshire. “It’s a privilege to congratulate you on this honour. Congratulations, and we look forward to what’s next in your career, especially with the scholarship to Michigan, a top school in the United States.”

Shropshire thanked the community and those who have supported his development throughout his speech, including Jason Pritchard who nominated him for the award, the City of Orillia, and the Orillia Sports Council for the consideration.

“It means a lot to represent the town and the community,” he said. “I love this community very much.”

He also credited his coaches for helping him reach the top on the provincial golf landscape and his Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School teachers for helping him balance academics with a demanding competition schedule.

During the 2025 season, Shropshire finished second at the Ontario Junior Boys Spring Classic and placed 14th at the Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship while competing against golfers as old as 55.

He also finished second at the AJGA Coca Cola Junior Championship in Michigan, won the Ontario Junior Boys Championship, captured first place representing Team Ontario at the Williamson Cup and tied for 11th at the Canadian Junior Championship in New Brunswick.

He added a first-place finish at Ontario Super Camp and was runner-up at the OFSAA high school championship tournament. Competing against the province’s top adult golfers, he ranked 14th in Ontario and 30th nationally.

Shropshire has also been selected as one of only 10 athletes to represent NextGen Team Canada in international competition during the 2026 season and has been named co-captain. He recently committed to a four year scholarship at the University of Michigan, one of the NCAA’s premier Division I golf programs.

Despite the accolades, he said the simple joy of the sport still motivates him most.

“Playing all summer is honestly one of the most fun things in my life,” he said. “The love of the game is huge and I get to play with people who really just love golf.”

Original Article by: Tyler Evans – Orillia Matters
Link to Article: Orillia golfer named Athlete of the Year
Photo By: Orillia Matters
Date: Feb. 19th, 2026

Find out all about the Sport Orillia Athlete of the year for 2025.

This year’s inductees will be officially welcomed into the Hall of Fame at a May 9 gala at Casino Rama.

One of the city’s crowning on-ice achievements will be recognized this year as the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame welcomes its newest class of inductees.

The Orillia Travelways, a team that captivated the city by winning a Centennial Cup on home ice at the fabled Orillia Community Centre in 1985, will be inducted in the team category.

The Travelways will be joined by a local hockey player who skated his way into the NHL, a world-class figure skater, and a figure skating coach who has mentored generations of local athletes.

This year’s highly-anticipated gala ceremony will be held on May 9 at Casino Rama.

This year’s inductees were announced by the Orillia Sports Council, which oversees the process.

In the team category, the Travelways will be just the third team to enter the Hall. The Travelways exemplified team success in the early 1980s, and won the Centennial Cup, emblematic of Jr. A hockey supremacy in 1985.

They will be joined by two athletes.

Ryan Smith, with his partner, became a Canadian champ as a novice skater in 1997 and dominated the emerging ice dance competition for several years, winning several medals at the provincial and national level.

Richard Scott will also be inducted as an athlete this year. Scott shone for the Couchiching Terriers from 1994-98, played for the Oshawa Generals of the OHL, and played 10 games with the New York Rangers between 2001-2004.

In the builder’s category, Tracey Zwiers will be inducted as a figure skating coach who has, for four decades, shaped generations of young athletes through her role with the Orillia Figure Skating Club and the local Special Olympics organization.

“These inductees truly represent the best of Orillia,” said Roy Micks, president of the Orillia Sports Council. “We are proud of their accomplishments and look forward to celebrating them.”

This will be the 11th class of inductees since the Orillia Sports Council started the Hall of Fame in 2015. Past inductees are honoured in the Hall of Fame Lounge at the Orillia Recreation Centre.

The new honourees will be officially inducted at the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame Gala, which will be held May 9 at the Nightingale Ballroom at Casino Rama.

Original Article by:  Orillia Matters Staff
Link to Article: From hockey glory to figure skating excellence, Orillia’s newest Hall of Fame class is set.
Photo By: Orillia Matters
Date: March 25th, 2026

‘I was always driven to get better,’ Ted Dongelmans told local student athletes on the eve of his induction into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame.

Exceptional student athletes from Orillia’s three high schools were recognized Thursday morning during the Orillia Sports Council’s annual Breakfast of Champions, held at Eclectic Café in downtown Orillia.

The annual celebration, held on the Thursday before the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony, spotlights young athletes who have demonstrated commitment, leadership and excellence in their sports and communities. The morning served as both a tribute to their achievements and a reminder of the power of sport in shaping future leaders.

Delivering an inspiring speech to the athletes was Ted Dongelmans, who is among those to be inducted into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday evening at Casino Rama.

A standout basketball player who starred at Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute (ODCVI) in the early 1990s and later led Laurentian University to national success, Dongelmans shared a deeply personal story of perseverance, growth, and the lessons sport teaches beyond competition.

“You are all already more accomplished than I was when I left high school,” Dongelmans told the students. “And that’s part of my journey.”

He recounted a humble beginning in athletics, from being “awkward” as a kid, joking about he got blocked by a chair in his first basketball practice, to becoming a U Sports All-Canadian and playing professionally in Switzerland.

The common thread, he said, was the mindset of continuous improvement.

“I never felt like I was quite there compared to the best players I was playing against. But I was always driven to get better,” he said. “Those lessons of discipline, teamwork, and goal-setting have served me well throughout my life.”

Being honoured on Thursday from Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School were Zeke Neely, Siena Orsini, Bryson Shigwadja, and Billie Rouse.

Neely was praised as a dynamic multi-sport athlete with four OFSAA appearances across hockey and lacrosse. Known for his competitiveness and consistency, he averaged two points per game at OFSAA this year in hockey.

Orsini stood out for her dominance on the volleyball court, playing both high school and club volleyball at a high level. A member of the Georgian Cubs, Orsini helped her team regularly place in the province’s top three.

Shigwadja, quarterback of the school’s new junior football team, helped the Flames surprise many with his breakout season. He’s now training with the Huronia Stallions while remaining a star player for the junior basketball team.

Rouse, a Grade 9 student, has already won four national lacrosse championships and was recently selected for Lacrosse Canada’s National Development Team. She also excels in volleyball and basketball.

From Twin Lakes Secondary School were Mira Cresanto, Kail Huffman, Gunner Wolfe, and Anna Vurma.

Cresanto is a national-level lacrosse player who has represented Team Canada and Team Ontario. Despite Twin Lakes not offering lacrosse, she’s captained the school’s flag football team and earned badminton medals while maintaining Ontario Scholar status.

Huffman, known affectionately as “Rambo” for his red bandana, is a force across multiple sports — soccer, rugby, wrestling, and Nordic skiing. He led his teams to GBSSA championships and impressed enough to be invited to play club rugby in Barrie.

Wolfe has starred as an elite-level hockey goalie with the North Central Predators and was recently drafted in the eighth round by the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires. He is set to attend a high-performance camp in P.E.I. this summer.

Vurma excels in cross-country, flag football, volleyball, swimming, Nordic skiing, mountain biking, and track. She won gold at OFSAA in Nordic skiing in Grade 9 and silver in Grade 10. She ranks first overall in U16 girls for Nordic skiing and is on the Junior Ontario Nordic ski team.

From Orillia Secondary School were Ellainna Murdoch, Ava Hann, Daniel Greb, and Devun Colebrook.

Murdoch has anchored her basketball team since Grade 9 and is celebrated for her leadership and resilience, even while battling injury. She also competed on the school’s track team and is viewed as a role model.

Hann led OSS’s flag football team as quarterback, never missing a game or practice in three years. Her leadership extends to volunteering with youth programs, making her an integral figure in the school’s sports community.

Greb earned accolades across several sports — Nordic skiing, basketball, track, cross-country and swimming. Recognized for his sportsmanship and character, he competed at OFSAA and won multiple team awards.

Colebrook has shone in hockey, volleyball, and mountain biking. He was admired not only for his athleticism but for mentoring younger teammates and maintaining academic excellence. Coaches lauded his maturity, leadership, and consistency.

As the morning wrapped up, Dongelmans reminded the students that while their athletic careers may eventually come to an end, the lessons they’ve learned will carry them forward.

“These things will make everyone sitting at these tables successful throughout their lives,” he said. “That is what I truly love about sport — it’s one of the last platforms where you’re held accountable and pushed to be your best.”

Original Article by: Tyler Evans – Orillia Matters
Link to Article: 2025 Breakfast of Champions
Photo By: Orillia Matters
Date: March 8th, 2025

‘The girls are so fast and technically skilled. It was tough racing with them,’ says Isabella Holmgren, who is already looking ahead to next Olympic.

Orillia’s Isabella Holmgren shone on the world’s biggest athletics stage on Sunday.

The talented and driven local cyclist, who was named Orillias 2023 Athlete of the Year, placed 17th this morning in the women’s cross-country mountain biking event at the Olympics in Paris.

While the ultra-competitive athlete always strives for the top spot, she told OrilliaMatters via phone from Paris after the event that she is proud of her effort in today’s race.

“I kept pushing the whole time and never gave up,” she said. “I’m happy about that.”

Early in the demanding seven-lap race, Holmgren says she had to “calm the nerves” as she battled the elements on the unique, gravel course.

“It’s definitely the biggest race I’ve ever done,” she said. “I’d say there were a few more nerves than usual.”

With 15,000 fans crowded around the course at Élancourt Hill — located about 40 kilometres from the Athletes Village — Holmgren says the atmosphere was like no other.

“The fans were crazy,” she said. “It was so loud the entire time.”

The 4.4-kilometre course was “quite different” compared to some of the World Cup courses where Holmgren has had success before.

“It was very man-made,” she explained. “I think a lot of Olympic courses are like that. It was definitely a different kind of racing for me.”

At 19, Holmgren was the youngest cyclist competing in today’s race. The event’s runaway winner, France’s Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, by comparison, was competing in her fourth Olympic Games.

“The competition was the best in the world,” Holmgren said. “The girls are so fast and technically skilled. It was tough racing with them.”

Holmgren says she looks up to some of the fellow racers she shared the course with today. She hopes that racing with some of the top talent from around the globe will only make her better.

“Hopefully I can take everything I’ve learned from this experience and apply it to the next one to have a better performance,” she said.

Just hours removed from representing Canada at the Olympics today, Holmgren is already turning her focus to the next Summer Games in Los Angeles.

“I would really like to be back for another Olympics,” she said. “I know a bit more of what to expect now and I have four years to train even harder and dial in.”

In the crowd today, Holmgren had some of her friends and family cheering her on.

“That was so special,” she said. “My brother Max was here for the race which was so nice because he’s really busy with school and work. It was nice that he was able to be here.”

Back home, friends, family, and fans of Holmgren cheered her on from a watch party at Hardwood Ski and Bike in Oro-Medonte. She says the support kept her focused during the race.

“Knowing that they were back home watching helped me to keep pushing to the end when the race got hard,” she said. “It was really nice to know that they were all cheering and supporting from back home.”

Holmgren’s older brother, Gunnar, will take to the course tomorrow. He will compete in the men’s cross-country event tomorrow morning at 8:10 a.m.

“I’m so pumped to watch him,” she said. “He’s worked so hard and I’m excited to cheer him on and watch him race.”

Original Article By: Orillia Matters Staff
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: July 28, 2024
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters
Photo: Supplied Photos / Orillia Matters

‘Hopefully, it inspires some younger ones back home,’ says Gunnar Holmgren who developed his passion for mountain biking at Hardwood Ski and Bike.

Orillia’s Gunnar Holmgren hopes his Olympic debut in Paris will inspire local youth.

The skilled and motivated cyclist, who was named Orillia’s Athlete of the Year in 2021, placed 30th in the men’s cross-country mountain biking event at the Olympics in Paris this morning.

Holmgren, 24, says it wasn’t his best race, but he gave it his all.

“I definitely got 100 per cent out of the legs I had,” he told OrilliaMatters via phone from Paris after the event. “The experience was amazing.”

When Holmgren took off for his eight laps around the challenging 35.3-kilometre man-made Olympic course, he says the energy became “electric.”

“The French crowd is good at showing up to the bike races and encouraging all of the athletes,” he said, noting about 15,000 fans were packed around the course at Élancourt Hill, located about 40 kilometres from the Athletes Village. “It was really top-notch.”

Holmgren says the Canadian fans showed up for him in Paris today, including friends and family from back home in Orillia.

“I could hear them during every lap around the course in multiple spots,” he said. “I’m really thankful that they all made the trip.”

The fast course, full of technical passes, made for a challenging race. Holmgren said he could feel the loose gravel underneath his wheels at every turn.

“I had to be really focused the whole way around the course,” he said. “You could never really relax at any point which made it a bit challenging but made for some fun racing.”

Holmgren is used to racing against the toughest competition in the world. Most of the cyclists he was up against today, he races year-round.

“Not only the top guys, but everyone there is super dedicated,” he said. “They all sacrificed quite a bit to be there.”

While the result may not have been what Holmgren was aiming for today, he says it’s “pretty cool” that he can now call himself an Olympian.

“Hopefully, it inspires some younger ones back home,” he said, noting that he hopes to be back at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Local fans, family, and friends cheered on Holmgren this morning during a watch party at Hardwood Ski and Bike. He says having that kind of support is “special.”

“Hardwood is where I grew up riding my bike,” he said. “I have some amazing memories there. I’m sure one of the next Olympians for Canada is peddling their bike around there now.”

Yesterday, Holmgren’s younger sister Isabella placed 17th in the Olympic women’s cross-country mountain biking event. He says sharing the Olympic experience with his sister has been a dream come true.

“We are super proud of each other,” he said. “To have the whole family here has been really amazing.”

Original Article By: Tyler Evans
Site: Orillia Matters
Date: July 29, 2024
Link to Original: Link to Orillia Matters
Photo: Supplied Photos / Orillia Matters