The wealth of sports talent, knowledge, dedication and commitment in the region was on display Saturday night at Bear Mountain, as the Victoria Sports Hall of Fame inducted its class of 2019.

Olympic and Paralympic athletes, a top international fastball pitcher, an international level coach and official, the Victoria Motorcycle Club and a veteran local broadcaster all gained entry to this exclusive club.

Ryan Cochrane, these days building a real estate business after a fruitful career winning Olympic and World Championship swimming medals, ended his competitive career as CanadaB次元官网网址檚 most decorated swimmer B次元官网网址� his eight medals at the worlds are most by a Canadian swimmer B次元官网网址� yet sounded thrilled with this latest honour.

B次元官网网址淚 grew up looking up to a lot of the people who have been inducted,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not something you think about when youB次元官网网址檙e an athlete B次元官网网址� [but] time really brings it into perspective. This is kind of the cherry on top, to be able to look back and say B次元官网网址榠t was a really great ride.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

A little distance away from the pool and the deck at Saanich Commonwealth Place B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e smelled like chlorine for too longB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� has also given him time to reflect on things.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 so much more about the journeyB次元官网网址� donB次元官网网址檛 get me wrong, the medals are fantastic; but itB次元官网网址檚 more about what it took to get there and who were the people that supported you and the journey, more than the accolades.B次元官网网址�

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Another hometown athlete-inductee, Mike Piechnik, was one of the worldB次元官网网址檚 top fastball pitchers in the late 80B次元官网网址檚 and 1990s. But his story can truly be considered one of local historyB次元官网网址檚 great comebacks.

Piechnik explains: B次元官网网址淚n 1991, I was 41 and it was the year after the back surgery that I thought was career ending. But it wasnB次元官网网址檛,B次元官网网址� he said with a grin.

He enjoyed most of his success after the surgery, leading his Victoria teams to multiple B.C. and Canadian championships, Pan American Games gold and International Softball Federation medals. The pitcher of back-to-back perfect games and owner of multiple strikeout records, he wound up playing competitively until 2007.

Piechnik gave kudos to his catchers along the way, players like Doug Chase, Rocky Vitale, Craig Crawford and others. B次元官网网址淲hen you go into a championship game with these guys catching you, your confidence is high,B次元官网网址� he said.

Being honoured for his accomplishments in this way was not lost on the big lefty. B次元官网网址淭his is home, and thatB次元官网网址檚 huge B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 home. And itB次元官网网址檚 not just softball, itB次元官网网址檚 all sport. IB次元官网网址檓 incredibly honoured to be here with the athletes and coaches that are here.

Also honoured during the evening were Paralympic sailing teammates John McRoberts and Stacie Louttit, who won bronze in the two-person keelboat at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics and just missed the podium in the 2012 London Paralympic Games.

B次元官网网址淲e had a lot of great times and to be very good friends still, after all that, is very special and it kind of brought that closer for us as well,B次元官网网址� McRoberts said of earning a place in the Hall of Fame.

McRoberts, who won sailing silver at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta when it was a demonstration sport, says of his introduction to Paralympic sailing in Esquimalt, B次元官网网址淚 happened to be in the right place at the right time.B次元官网网址�

He met Louttit a number of years later and got her into the sport. While she reluctantly committed to the training program, already having a busy life with family and career, she fell in love with the sport, she said.

She and McRoberts eventually found themselves in a boat together, Louttit said. B次元官网网址淚n sailing itB次元官网网址檚 important to gel as a team B次元官网网址� so we worked on that and were able to have synergy.B次元官网网址�

McRoberts took the opportunity to issue a challenge to people to try sailing, whether able bodied or not. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 classes for adults and children and everything in between,B次元官网网址� he said of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club programs.

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Also honoured in the athlete category was 19-year menB次元官网网址檚 field hockey national team member Rob Short. His 364 caps in international play at the Olympic, World Cup, Pan-Am and Commonwealth Games levels come in handy now that heB次元官网网址檚 coaching Team Canada.

In the coaches and officials category international figure skating judge Susan Morriss and Olympic and World Championship distance running coach Wynn Gmitroski were inducted, while the Metchosin-based Victoria Motorcycle Club goes into the builders category.

Longtime CHEK-TV sports director Alex Robertson, who mostly sat in the sports anchorB次元官网网址檚 chair between 1974 and 2003 received the Sid Thomas Media Award for his dedication to covering the local sports scene.

To find a complete list of current and past inductees, visit .