琉璃神社

Skip to content

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

One of the biggest sports stories in the Central Okanagan in 2023
web1_231123-kcn-coshof-induction_1
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鈥檚 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 琉璃神社鈥檚 running community. They helped the 琉璃神社 Running Club, formed the 琉璃神社 Apple Triathlon, brought the World Champion Triathlon to 琉璃神社 in 1998, and started a women鈥檚 charity race that has raised more than $100,000 over the years.

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

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

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

Breaking News You Need To Know

Sign up for free account today and start receiving our exclusive newsletters.

Sign Up with google Sign Up with facebook

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and apply.

Reset your password

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google and apply.

A link has been emailed to you - check your inbox.



Don't have an account? Click here to sign up


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
Read more



(or

琉璃神社

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }
Pop-up banner image