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Sports Year in Review: Central Okanagan Sports HOF class of 2023

One of the biggest sports stories in the Central Okanagan in 2023
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Included in the 2023 Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame inductees are Cliff Serwa and Doug Mervyn, who built and created Big White Ski Resort. (Deanna Kristensen/Contributed)

A legendary group was selected into the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.

This year’s inductees were announced on June 13 and were inducted into the hall on Nov. 16. The group included:

  • Cliff Serwa and Doug Mervyn - Bennett Award;
  • Clayton Miller - Athlete;
  • David Bingham - Builder;
  • Jim and Karen Bates - Builder;
  • Gerry Austgarden, Sonya Gaudet, Chris Daw, Gary Cormack, Joe Rae (coach) - Team Canada Wheelchair Curling.

Serwa and Mervyn join the hall as Big White Ski Resort is just a few weeks away from their 60th anniversary. The two of them created the resort by building roads, a lodge, and a ski lift. Serwa joins his granddaughter Kelsey, who entered the hall in 2019.

Miller was the top international competitor at several skeet shooting events throughout this career, including being a national champion in 1996 and 2000. He also competed at the 1996 Olympic Games.

Bingham was been involved in athletes in School District 23 since 1975, coaching both basketball and volleyball. He still coaches today.

Jim and Karen Bates have been essential in Kelowna’s running community. They helped the Kelowna Running Club, formed the Kelowna Apple Triathlon, brought the World Champion Triathlon to Kelowna in 1998, and started a women’s charity race that has raised more than $100,000 over the years.

This national team inducted into the Hall of Fame features Kelowna (Austgarden), Vernon (Gaudet), and Osoyoos (Rae). In 2006, they won gold at the 2006 Paralympic Games in Italy.

With this year’s induction, there are now 69 members in the COSHOF.

READ MORE: Central Okanagan sports legend, Big White builders to be inducted into hall

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Jordy Cunningham

About the Author: Jordy Cunningham

Hailing from Ladner, B.C., I have been passionate about sports, especially baseball, since I was young. In 2018, I graduated from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops with a Bachelor of Journalism degree
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