Marco Di Girolamo
Marco Di Girolamo was born in Toronto, Ontario on May 9, 1977. Growing up, Marco enjoyed sports and played hockey and soccer. It was not until his grade nine physical education class that he was introduced to rugby. Marco’s teacher, Peter Renzetti, was a rugby player for the Toronto Barbarians and suggested that he try out for the Ontario Under-15 team. Marco made the team, and it was not long before he committed himself fully to the sport! The next season Marco earned a spot with his “nearest” club, the Toronto Barbarians. Nearest is a relative term, living in Maple meant that Marco had to make the trip to Toronto to practice and play games. The club practiced close to Sunnybrook Hospital, which meant if he could not get a ride, he would have to ride his bicycle into the city. Not only did those bike rides make for a serious warm-up before a practice or game, but it also demonstrated Marco’s commitment to the sport. Marco’s debut with the Barbarians in 1992 occurred at an interesting time for rugby; it was not until 1995 that rugby was considered a professional sport internationally. Even once it received recognition as a professional sport, rugby remained an amateur and under-funded sport in Canada. This did not deter Marco, instead it made him a passionate advocate and he would promote the sport, celebrating the athleticism and diversity of the players at any opportunity. During his teens, Marco played for and captained many Ontario Rep teams, including the Under-16 Ontario, Under-17 Ontario and U-19 Ontario teams, where he led them to an Eastern...
Janice “Jan” Jones
Janice “Jan” Jones (nee Shepp) was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on January 21, 1942. Swimming was an odd sport for Jan to become a world champion as Manitoba offered limited training resources. Despite those challenges, at age ten Jan became a member of the Winnipeg Aquatic Club, which happened to be coached by Canadian competitive swimming champion, Pop Sidwell. Jan struggled during her early years with the club, but Pop saw something in her and decided to switch her technique from Freestyle to Breaststroke, an insight he may have gleaned from his own experience as a silver medal winner in the 220-yard Breaststroke at the 1930 Canadian Championships. His instinct was right, and Jan quickly became an expert at the new technique, setting provincial and state records through Manitoba and Minnesota. With a winning stroke, Jan’s success took her far from home: in 1956, at the age of 14, Jan boarded a 2 ½ day train trip out east to Toronto to compete in the Olympic Trials and her first big competition. In 1958, Jan travelled to Vancouver to race at the Junior Nationals, where she won a Silver Medal in the 100m Breaststroke. Her performance was noticed, and Jan was offered an invitation to compete in a Commonwealth Games Trials “Swim Off” where she achieved the 3rd fastest time in the country! The following year Jan competed in the Summer Nationals being held in Brantford, which at the time was home to Ontario’s only 50m pool. She won a Silver Medal in the 100m breaststroke and was noticed by Alex Stermac – Canada’s Head Coach for the 1959...
David “Dave” Giroux
David “Dave” Giroux was born in Dalhousie, New Brunswick on October 23, 1963. As a boy, Dave loved to spend his time playing hockey, going fishing, and taking long walks in the woods. Noticeably off that list is anything to do with baseball. In fact, it was not until Dave met his wife, Carol, that his passion for baseball began to form. After Dave and Carol met, he learned that Carol’s young son played ball. Understanding how invested she was in her son’s love for the game, Dave quickly knew that to spend more time with Carol, he would have to spend more time at the ballpark. It was not long before Dave left the bleachers for the dugout and began volunteering as a coach, conveyor, scheduler, and eventually became the President of the Newmarket Baseball Association. Dave was on a mission to inspire a love of baseball in Canada’s youth and make the game accessible to all. His experience had shown him that the Rookie Division, ages 7-9, could leave the youngest players with a negative experience as well as pose some safety concerns. If this was driving the kids away from the diamond, then Dave wanted to fix it. The solution? The development of a new division: Jr. Rookie. Here kids aged 6-7 could play the game with their immediate peers, and under the guidance of new rules, which made the game safer for the young ones on the field. Another event that fostered the growth of the local ball clubs was the success of the Toronto Blue Jays during the 1992 and 1993 World Series. Their...
