The power of sport and diversity was highlighted last night as the Aurora Sports Hall of Fame inducted its 2024 class.
The 2024 inductees are Olympic swimmer and medallist Marcel Gery, Jamaican bobsled Olympian and track champion Milton Hart, seasoned rugby coach Sandy Townsend and table tennis world champion Grace Wong.
In front of a large crowd in the newly opened performance hall Nov. 7, the inductees donned their distinctive red jackets, accepted their plaques, and told often dramatic stories about their journey to the Aurora Town Square stage.
Gery defected from the Soviet Union in 1986, escaping his native Czechoslovakia via a refugee camp before emigrating to Canada, eventually joining its Olympic swim team and winning a bronze medal in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.
“I had no idea, the decision was so difficult, because you really don’t know when you’re going to see your parents or what your future is going to be, but here we are,” he said. “I had two careers, one back in Europe and one in Canada, so it was definitely worthwhile, I love living in this town, I love working here, and my family, boys grew up here, our roots are here now.”
Wong first picked up a table tennis paddle at age seven, but had to put it down to focus on the challenging university entrance exams in her native China. Decades later and an ocean away, Wong picked up the paddle again, committed herself to improving and went onto become an international masters tournament champion.
“If you have passion for it, literally there’s not many things that can get in your way,” she said. “That’s why I said in my speech, there must be some kind of magic power in sports that can connect with people instantly.”
Hall of fame president and chair Javed Khan said the diversity of this year’s candidates highlighted the changing face of Aurora, and that inclusivity is something the organization strives for.
“The community is changing, as a hall of fame, we need to find to every effort to reflect that in our community, you have to,” he said. “I know there’s more Graces, there’s more Marcels, who have great stories of coming to the country, coming into our community."
Hart, a military veteran in his native Jamaica and Canada, said he was "awed" by the presence of everyone, all wearing Remebrance poppies, to mark the positive occasion for the community.
“I really enjoyed the camaraderie, the fellowship, and the unity here tonight,” he said. “People have come from so far ... to be here, and it was just a very communal night.”
Townsend, who has coached school rugby teams to provincial championships on multiple occasions, was cheered on by a large contingent from the Aurora Barbarians and his former school, The Country Day School in King, in the audience.
“We have all contributed to the growth of sport in Aurora, and that makes Aurora a better place,” he said.
There was also recognition for two future hall-of-famers, karate champion Connor Campbell, and 10-year-old golfing prodigy Angelica Chang.
