Ben King, left (Red Deer Rebels/Rob Wallator), and Rebecca Smith, right (rdnewsNOW/Josh Hall).

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

Red Deer Sport Awards Committee names 2021 Athletes of the Year

Mar 30, 2022 | 11:41 AM

The Red Deer Sport Award Committee has announced Rebecca Smith and Ben King as its 2021 female and male athletes of the year.

The award recognizes amateur athletes who’ve been highly successful in their field over the last 12 months.

Athletes must be from Red Deer and area, or represent a team from Red Deer, and have one or more significant accomplishments of local, national or international acclaim.

Smith competed in the 2020 (2021) Tokyo Olympics, representing her country in swimming.

Smith helped Canada earn silver in the 4×100 metre freestyle relay, and led the team to a fourth place finish in the 4×200 metre freestyle relay, setting a Canadian record.

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The 22-year-old also won four medals at the short course world championships in December, and win six gold medals representing the U of C Dinos at the Canada West Conference Championship last November. She was named Canada West Women’s Swimmer of the Year.

“It means a lot. I think the past couple years have really been challenging, just being away from my family longer than expected and just the challenges of training and trying to maintain my endurance and trying to find ways to be better and improve, while trying to make the Olympic team,” says Smith. “It also is just really rewarding, because I feel really supported by Red Deer. There are so many people with the community that helped me during that time, when COVID started. I owe it all to them.”

Other nominees for the Red Deer Sport Award Committee’s female athlete of the year were golfer Eileen Park and RDP Queens volleyball player Kaylee Domoney.

Ben King has been a Red Deer Rebel for three seasons now, and is poised to finish in the top two of the WHL scoring race alongside linemate Arshdeep Bains.

In the shortened 2020-21 season, King had 28 points in 21 games. In the first half of the 2021-22 season (taking place in 2021), King notched 38 points in 34 games, including 22 goals.

”It’s pretty special getting rewarded with that,” says King. “Last year and carrying into this year, I just tried to play my game and be the best athlete I can be for the organization and the city. It’s an honour to get that award. I’m truly blessed.”

Other nominees on the male side were fellow WHLer Nate Danielson, who plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings, golfer Carter Graf, and beach volleyball duo Josh Gagnon and Colby Nemeth.