Aurora, ON, May 27, 2019 – Two athletes, a coach and a contributor/builder are on the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame 2019 slate of inductees. Induction into the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame is the Town of Aurora’s highest sporting honour. It celebrates excellence in sports and pays tribute to those who have contributed and enriched sport heritage within Aurora.
“The 2019 slate of inductees for the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame continues to exemplify the depth of talent that sport has played in our community. The commitment and dedication of these individuals to their sport, and their generosity to give back to our community exemplifies Aurora’s rich history of sport. We are proud to include them on our 2019 inductee slate,” said David Thom, President, Aurora Sports Hall of Fame.
“We are excited with this year’s slate of Inductees to the hall. Not only are they highly distinguished in their respective careers, but more importantly, they are outstanding people and longstanding citizens of Aurora. They have brought a tremendous spotlight to our community as athletes, coaches, and builders and have helped others in their areas through volunteerism. They are role models and the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame is fortunate and proud that they are Aurorans. It will be an honour to recognize and celebrate their achievements,” said Stephen Forsey, Chair of the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame Induction Committee.
The inductees will be officially inducted into the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame on November 7 at the 7th Annual Induction Celebration at St. Andrew’s College. Watch for promotion of ticket sales to begin in the coming weeks.
This year, the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame is proud to induct the following four individuals onto its 2019 inductee slate in the following categories:
Jim Clark (Contributor/Builder: Golf)
Known as the “champion of volunteers”, Jim Clark has been a volunteer for the Canadian Open for the past 35 years, and an 11-time tournament chair. He has been a member of the Governor’s Council since 2001 and in 2016 he received the Golf Canada Distinguished Award.
In 2017, Jim was the finalist for the PGA Tour Volunteer of the Year Award.
Mr. Clark is the current chair for the 2019 Canadian Women’s Open which will be hosted in Aurora at the Magna Golf Club.
“I’m so honoured to be considered by the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame to be part of the 2019 slate of inductees and can’t wait for this coming November to meet my fellow inductees and enjoy a fabulous evening with my family and friends,” said Jim Clark.
Reg Chappell (Coach: Swimming)
In January, 1993, Reg founded Ducks Swimming. He is the previous recipient of a Special Achievement Award by the Ontario Swim Coaches Association and in 2012 was the coach of the Canadian Paralympics Swimming Team travelling to London, England where he coached Summer Mortimer who was a multiple medal winner including three world records.
In 2016, Mr. Chappell coached Nydia Langill at the Paralympic games in Rio, Brazil. Most recently, it was announced that Reg will be inducted into the Ontario Aquatic Hall of Fame in September, 2019.
In addition to his coaching and travel, he has been one of the founding members of Sport Aurora and has been actively on the Board of Directors for the past 10 plus years.
“I am truly humbled. It is a great honour, and a great privilege to be recognized, and I want to thank the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame,” said Reg Chappell.
Travis Romagnoli (Athlete: Gymnastics)
Travis Romagnoli has been a multi-sport athlete since he was a young child. His hard work and perseverance paid off immediately as he won his first Canadian National Championship at the age of 13 in 1989.
In 1994 he was named to the Canadian Commonwealth Gymnastic team in Victoria and after high school, he accepted a scholarship to the University of Illinois. Travis was named 1998 All American and Big Ten Conference Athlete of the Year and the year after that he was selected as Captain of the University of Illinois Gymnastic Team.
In 2000, for his second time, Travis was named captain of the University of Illinois Gymnastic Team, and led his team the NCAA Championship.
Dave Gardner & Ryan Gardner (Athlete: Hockey)
For the first time in its history, the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame will be inducting a father/son duo.
Starting with Dave Gardner, a standout junior player with the Toronto Marlboros of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). In 1970, he was the 8th overall draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens and for the next ten years, he played 350 games in the NHL with the Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, California Golden Seals, and the Cleveland Barons.
He left the NHL in 1980 and moved to Switzerland to play his final 5 years of his professional career.
“I’m really honoured to be part of the 2019 Aurora Sports Hall of Fame inductees, along with my son Ryan and other inductees. Looking forward to celebrating a great evening with everyone,” said David Gardner.
Ryan Gardner was drafted to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), by the London Knights where he played for two seasons and part of two others with the North Bay Centennials.
As a 19-year-old, he left Canada to play for the next 20 years in the Swiss Professional League.
He was a 5-time participant of the annual Spengler Cup and 4-time participant of the World Championships for Switzerland where he was a silver medalist in 2013.
He was a participant in the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games.
“What a great feeling to receive a call from the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame that you are not only being inducted, but with your father. I was totally speechless. Can’t wait for the evening and meeting the other inductees. I’m thrilled,” said Ryan.
About the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame
The Aurora Sports Hall of Fame was established in November, 2013 by Sport Aurora and with the financial support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The Aurora Sports Hall of Fame (ASHOF) celebrates sport history and excellence and is dedicated to the recognition of the important place that sport has assumed within the fabric of Aurora. Every person who values the contribution of sport to our community and country is a part of that commemoration. More information is at https://aurorashof.ca.
For ASHOF media information, contact:
Javed S. Khan
Chair, Marketing & Communications
javed@empression.ca | 416-889-6069
