Folio News Story
May 17, 2002

Sports Wall of Fame founder now an inductee

Steadward joined by stellar cast of accomplished athletes, leaders

by Folio Staff
Dr. Bob Steadward
Dr. Bob Steadward

The University of Alberta is preparing to honour some of its finest athletes, by naming them to the Sports Wall of Fame. Started in 1983 and boasting a membership of 79 former U of A athletes, the Wall of Fame recognizes the impact former students have had as athletes on campus and beyond. This year's inductees stand out not only as winning athletes but also as influential members of our greater community. This year's inductees will be saluted at a special dinner event May 29 at the Shaw Conference Centre. For ticket information call 492-3893.

DR. ROBERT D. (BOB) STEADWARD, O.C., LLD (Hons)

It is fitting that the man whose efforts led to the development of the Sports Wall of Fame is appointed to it. In the world of sport for persons with a disability, Dr. Bob Steadward has become an icon.

Steadward came to the U of A in 1964, where he competed on the Golden Bears track and field team as a long jumper and sprinter. As a student he became involved with the creation and operation of programs for disabled athletes and this interest became a driving force in his career. Steadward is the founder and CEO of the Rick Hansen Centre (recently re-named Steadward Centre), a multi-disability sport, fitness, lifestyle and research facility on campus. From 1983 - 1985 Steadward was the associate dean of the Faculty of Physical Education. In 1983 he founded the Green and Gold Athletic Alumni Society. From 1985 - 1989 he served as chair of the department of athletics. In 1999, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada, the nation's highest civilian honour.

Tom Towns
Tom Towns

TOM TOWNS

When football coaches gather to share memories of the great Golden Bears teams, Tom Towns invariably forms part of the conversation. He was, in the words of several coaches, "as good as they get." Named Most Valuable Player in Edmonton high school football in 1969 and 1970, Towns joined the Golden Bears the year after he graduated from Bonnie Doon High School. He also excelled in track and field and competed internationally as a wrestler. By 1971 he had attained such a high degree of athleticism that he was named to the starting lineup in the Canadian College Bowl Championship team. In 1973 he was playing on offensive and defensive squads for the Golden Bears, and was named as a Canada West All Star in 1973 and 1974, when he was also selected to the All-Canadian CIAU Team.

Towns' superb play resulted in his recruitment to the Edmonton Eskimos in 1975. In 10 years he had played for six Grey Cup winning teams, and was traded to the Ottawa Roughriders. He retired at the end of that season. Towns later served as a guest coach for the Golden Bears, Edmonton Eskimos and the Calgary Stampeders.

Shauna Miller
Shauna Miller

SHAUNA MILLER, LLB (1978)

It is rare for a university athlete to dominate a sport for the better part of a decade yet that is precisely what Shauna Miller did. From the time she entered the U of A in 1970 until she completed her law degree in 1978, Miller was the country's top university athlete. During her time at the U of A she earned, by a conservative count, 18 titles, including six Alberta championships, three CWUAA titles and a CIAU championship. In 1975 and from 1978 through to 1981, Miller was chosen to represent Canada at the World Cross Country Championships. Miller ran her best 3,000-metre times in 1977 and 1978 en route to national titles and a spot on Canada's 1978 Commonwealth Games team, running just out of the medals to a fourth-place finish.

Miller has served the community in many significant ways. She has served on the board of directors of the YMCA, has served with the United Way for many years (serving as deputy chair one year) and has been a patron of the arts, serving on theatre and Edmonton Symphony Orchestra boards.

Gerry Braunberger
Gerry Braunberger

GERRY BRAUNBERGER, BSc (1968), DDS (1972)

Gerry Braunberger, in many important ways, added to the legend of the Golden Bears Ice Hockey program. From 1964 - 1970 Braunberger played for a team that won the national championship (1967-1968) and five Canada West Conference championships. He was named to three consecutive Canada West First All Star teams, the CIAU All-tournament team, and is one of six players to serve as captain for three or more seasons. Following the 1968 -1969 season Braunberger was awarded the Wilson Challenge Trophy. Only the best of the best receive such recognition. Coches also awarded Braunberger the Andy Purcell Hockey Trophy as the Golden Bears Most Valuable Player. Why such acclaim? Braunberger was an all-around contributor. He was a high-scoring, tough but clean player and a leader among leaders. Former coach Clare Drake recognized his leadership and, at the end of his active career with the team, invited him to join the coaching staff for Braunberger's two remaining years as a student on the campus.

Dr. Darwin Semotiuk
Dr. Darwin Semotiuk

DARWIN SEMOTIUK, BPE (1965), MA (1967), PhD (1970 Ohio State)

Outstanding athletic alumni of the U of A often go on to help build sport in other parts of the world. Such is the case of Dr. Darwin Semotiuk. While a student athlete at the U of A, Semotiuk starred in basketball and football. A point guard and a team leader, he was named team captain of the Golden Bears basketball team for five seasons and co-captained the football team from 1963 - 1967. From 1965 - 1967 he was also a member of Canada's national basketball team. He was awarded four Block As, the Walter Schlosser Award for leadership and athleticism in basketball (1965-1966; 1966-1967), and the Wilson Challenge Trophy winner as the university's outstanding male athlete in 1966 - 1967. Semotiuk went on to establish a 30-year career as a nationally recognized builder of university sport.

Semotiuk joined the University of Western Ontario in 1971 and was named as an assistant football coach of the Mustangs - a team that went on to victories during his first year in the Yates Cup, the Atlantic Bowl and the Vanier Cup. In 1975 he was named head coach of the Mustangs. Until 1983, when he retired as head coach, his teams established a 73 - 23 win-loss record. During the course of those eight seasons his teams won six Yates Cup championships, three Forest City bowl championships, one Central Bowl championship, and two Vanier Cup championships.

The impact of Semotiuk's leadership has been felt across the nation.