Written By Jeffrey Reed
During the holiday season, sports fans are flooded with lists – everything from the year’s Top 10 plays to professional athletes on Santa’s naughty list. In today’s world, the list of fallen sports heroes continues to grow exponentially.
If you’re looking for real heroes from the world of sports, then you’re best to look in your own backyard. There’s a cornucopia of courageous athletes from the London and Middlesex County area who don’t receive the attention they deserve, yet offer all of us inspiration.
I enjoyed a recent chat with Special Olympics Ontario - London facilities manager Rick Walker who spoke passionately about how our local Special Olympians “are the real heroes within our community.”
Special Olympics golfer Chris Lauzon of London is one of those heroes. At the early-November Special Olympics North America golf championship in Wichita, Kansas, Lauzon erased a four-stroke deficit heading into the final round to shoot a 9-hole score of 62 and claim a five-shot victory.
“I was very proud of winning the North American championship because I was all alone out there and had to correct my own mistakes. That win was very special,” Lauzon said.
Of course, heroic deeds take many forms. Mt. Brydges bobsledder Kristen Bujnowski, first recruited to the Canadian bobsleigh program in 2017, has faced many ups and downs on and off the ice track during her career which includes a fifth-place finish at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2022.
Now a bobsleigh pilot with Ottawa’s Charlotte Ross on the brakes, Bujnowski, 32, is competing on the North American Cup circuit. With three career silver medals and three bronze as a brakewoman, she’s keeping her dream of Olympic gold alive.
Elite athletes aren’t our only sports heroes. Take, as an example, Greg Horton, founder of The Casual Athlete in Strathroy. During YMCA Peace Week November 16-23, YMCA of Southwestern Ontario honoured Horton with a Peace Medal for his passionate advocacy for inclusivity and accessibility in fitness.
Since 2016, Horton has inspired our community by offering affordable, judgment-free fitness programs for individuals with disabilities and marginalized groups. According to the Y, his initiatives, including youth mentorship, mental health fundraisers and locally-sourced meal programs “reflect his commitment to creating a stronger, more inclusive community.”
This summer, I connected with two local groups who continue to use sports and leisure as a bond between mentors and mentees. Big Brothers Big Sisters of London and Area, and Arva’s SARI Therapeutic Riding – with programs designed to meet each rider’s physical, social, communication and independence goals – are two strong examples of how everyday people offer us hope through perseverance.
In fact, real success stems from the effort to compete, not just through hoisting a trophy. As the Special Olympics athlete oath reads: “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”
Award-winning writer
Jeffrey Reed has covered Middlesex County sports since 1980. He is publisher and editor of LondonOntarioSports.com. Reach him at
jeff@londonontariosports.com.
