Covid-19 has caused a lot of disruption to everyone’s lives. This year we could not host the BLB Fitness Festival, the 3 on 3 Throwdown, or our annual Gala. However we adapted and found new ways to create community events with online Zoom classes and switching to an online competition, the Proving Grounds.
Regardless of the changes, there are some traditions that we wanted to maintain, including the awarding of the Community Leadership Award. Every year for the past 9 years, this award has been given to two individuals that we feel have had a great impact on improving our community in one way or another.
This year’s male recipient is Shawn Toovey! Shawn has been a member at 306 for almost 6 years. He comes in and works out multiple times a week always giving his fullest effort. However it’s what he does outside of all regular classes that truly sets him apart.
Shawn was a regular during our Zoom days of Covid lockdown. When we realized that the lockdown was going to last longer then a few weeks we took advantage of this time to renovate. Shawn and Chris Read came to us with the idea of using old barn wood to create a unique atmosphere in the weightlifting room.
Through the month of May, Shawn and Chris drove around Saskatchewan pulling apart old barns (with the owners permission of course) and then repurposing that wood to create the most unique and cool wall in any gym in Saskatchewan. One night Shawn came in after a days work as a nurse, and stayed until 6AM finishing the wall. He effectively lost himself in the moment and delivered an outstanding result.
Shawn also participates in our local events as competitor or as a volunteer. He his one of the many people that make 306 the outstanding community that it is. His efforts this year are beyond expectation and we could not be more grateful.
It’s no surprise that the lockdowns were very hard on gyms like ours, however having so many members like Shawn kept me optimistic. I realized that Rebecca, myself, our staff and all of our members had collectively built more than a space but a community, a community full of members as terrific as Shawn
Please help me congratulate Shawn on his award and thank him for his efforts.
#communityaboveallelse