Basketball Manitoba is pleased to share the news that long-time Basketball Manitoba volunteer Maureen Orchard was honoured on May 1 with a prestigious YWCA Women of Distinction Award in Winnipeg at a special awards presentation in the wellness, healthy living and recreation category. Maureen volunteered in the basketball community for over 50 years including on the Basketball Manitoba Manitoba Board of Directors, Senior Women's Leagues, Wheelchair Basketball and was the basketball chair of the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. She is still an avid volunteer and is currently the President of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF). Congratulations to Maureen and thank you for all your dedication to developing basketball throughout the world! More on Maureen can be found at...MAUREEN ORCHARD
With over 40 years as a volunteer sport administrator, Maureen has continually broken down barriers for women in sport and disabled sport. She was involved in the creation of the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association in 1993, serving as President from 1993-1998; she was elected the first female President of the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) in 2002 and still holds the position. Maureen is the only President of a Paralympic Sport who also served as the technical director of the sport for the last three Paralympic Games. Under Maureen’s leadership, the IWBF has grown women’s wheelchair basketball to include a U25 Women’s World Championship and an independent Senior Women’s World Championships. She has also led the development of the sport through improved regulations, equipment standards, and the production of a rules video and teaching modules for referee and classifier training. She has been recognized with several awards including a 2012 Queen’s Jubilee medal from the Canadian Paralympic Committee. Maureen has also volunteered as a referee, served on the board of Basketball Manitoba for 47 years, and has been a board member of Canada Basketball and Sport Manitoba.
Sources:
- http://www.ymcaywca.mb.ca/wod.html
- http://www.ymcaywca.mb.ca/documents/Meetthe2013WODNominees-GeneralCategories_008.pdf
- http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/12-honoured-with-Woman-of-Distinction-awards-205679761.html