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Will Ferguson Award

Will Ferguson was a valued member of the Freestyle Panorama community.  In his career as both an athlete and later a coach, Will made a enduring impact on fellow athletes, coaches, parents and many more in our mountain community and beyond.

 

In September of 2021 Will lost his difficult battle with mental health.

To help keep the legacy of Will alive, FPSC will honor one athlete each year who embodies the essence of what made Will so special:  humility, generosity, and kindness.

Help us maintain this award by donating today.

2022/23 Will Ferguson Award Recipients

These individuals are members of the FPSC family whose quiet confidence, kindness and spirit significantly contribute to making our club a special place for all.

THANK-YOU to the many individuals who generously contributed to the sustainability of this award via our GoFundMe campaign.

Mike Brush

Mike has been with the club since day one and has coached hundreds of FPSC athletes over the years.  Mike has a beautiful ability to meet each athlete at their level and make them feel heard & valued.  Generally, the coolest guy on the mountain is not as easy to approach as Mike. But Mike's naturally positive, engaging personality ensures that all who interact with him receive an open and friendly greeting.  Will and Mike shared a special Coach/Athlete relationship and each had a lasting impact on the other.  In Will's time with the club, his days with Mike were among his most highly regarded.

Mike was chosen as an award recipient because of his humility and unwavering support of youth in the Freestyle Panorama Community.

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Quinn Unger

Quinn is a 15 yr old mogul skier from Kimberley, BC.  He is also one of the most talented young skiers in the country. 

 

But that's not why he received this award.

Our club consists of a very diverse set of athletes - a wide age range, varied abilities, some with personal challenges, and all with unique personalities.  Quinn goes out of his way over and over again to ensure that all athletes feel connected to their team-mates and part of the club overall.  When a new athlete joins our roster, their first introduction is nearly always Quinn because we know that social interaction and a sense of belonging is pretty much guaranteed once Quinn is involved.

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More about Will and this award

Will Ferguson was a valued member of the Freestyle Panorama community; in his time making a lasting impact on athletes, coaches, parents and many more in our mountain community. Will’s gentle authority, unwavering intellect and generous humility has made a positive and lasting impact on all who were around him.

 

Will was seldomly the loud voice in the group or the first one down a run (and definitely not the first one up in the morning!).  Instead, he provided an oft-needed voice of reason to the group he was coaching or skiing with. He was a quiet presence that spoke up when there was something important or worthwhile to share. Will was admired by all.  Others took heed when Will offered his opinion - he had the ability to talk sense into people both younger and older than himself.

 

Will started with FPSC in its infancy and was a core member of the hard-charging, Tayton-lapping groms who spent every weekend having the time of their lives at the hill.  As he started to age out of his role as an athlete he elected to carry on with the club, becoming a valued member of our coaching team.  Will was loved by his athletes and fellow coaches alike for his kind, funny, thoughtful and humble manner.  

 

In September of 2021 Will lost his difficult battle with mental health.

 

The Award: 

The Will Ferguson award will be given annually at FPSC’s KFC event during the Saturday medal ceremony.  Fundraising to support the award will continue throughout the year and is a key component of KFC advertising. 

 

Criteria:

Podium status / success with competition is not a criterion for this award.  Instead, this award will be distributed based upon citizenship and the characteristics that embodied Will including the following:

  • An athlete that exemplifies an exceptional maturity.

  • An athlete that exhibits humility when interacting with peers, coaches and others. Will was often the smartest person in the room, but because of his quiet demeanor this was often missed. Humility is measured by what is said to others, how it is said, and at times what is not said. 

  • An athlete who is respected by their peers - not by demanding it, but by earning it. 

  • This award has very little to do with skiing skills.  In fact, the award may be given to the skier with the self esteem to say no when others are saying yes. This award goes to an athlete that exhibits the qualities Will exemplified: Humility, Generosity and Kindness. 

 

To Apply:

A selection committee will convene approximately 1 month prior to the KFC to select the recipient. Athletes may be nominated by coaches, peers, or any other member of FPSC.  Members /Coaches / Athletes cannot nominate an immediate family member (e.g., child, sibling, etc.) or an individual residing at the same address.  

To nominate an athlete, please submit the athlete's full name and a short essay describing why you've nominated the individual to admin@freestylepanorama.com.

The Prize

The Will Ferguson Award has a value commensurate with the amount of funds available and the needs of the recipient.  Awarded monies may be allocated to training costs, travel subsidies and/or any other means the selection committee deems will support the athlete’s skiing endeavors.  If an appropriate in-kind sponsorship is available to support this award, ski equipment may also be awarded.

Pictured left to right: Mike Brush (award recipient), Thomas Burnyeat (FPSC Coach), Quinn Unger (award recipient), Jay Vaughn from Mountain Cultures (prize sponsor).  Absent: ID one ski (prize sponsor).

For more information

Want to learn more?  Please reach out to Thomas Burnyeat at thomasburnyeat87@icloud.com or the FPSC team at admin@freestylepanorama.com

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