Photo credit: Jay Smith.
Two graduating high school students have a little spring in their step this morning after being named the 2022 Dr. Jack Parry Award winners.
This year’s honours, recognizing the top student athletes in Chatham-Kent, went to Anna Kistulinec of Blenheim District High School and Ayden Blain from Chatham-Kent Secondary School.
Kistulinec is actually the first female student from BDHS to win the award. She says she’s had some great mentors and coaches along the way to help prepare her for the future.
“I am headed out to Alberta in mid-August to study at the University of Alberta, Bachelor of Science specialization in pharmacology, and I’ll be on the track team there, so competing in pole vault still, continuing on my career.”
Blain says it’s an honour to carry on the legacy of Dr. Parry.
“You can’t describe what it means to be considered as a representative of the man that we celebrate every year. It’s such a special thing to do, I hope to become half the man that Dr. Jack Parry was in his lifetime, so that’s my goal.”
Blain is continuing his education at the University of Western in the fall, competing in track and field and studying the open engineering program with a goal of focusing on mechanical engineering.
The two Dr. Jack Parry winners receive a $1000 gift from the Parry family. The runners up each receive $250 from sponsors TekSavvy and Maple City Homes.