Celebrate together

Wendy Tomyk

We had a ton of the usual nominees for this award, but one person got a mention from everyone asked. This is not discounting everyone else who works with our volunteers, promotes our events, pushes our runners year by year - she was mentioned by everyone asked about nominees for Club Builder.

There is one person who works way harder than I ever could on this club and that is Wendy! The level of creativity and commitment to making our medals and swag at our events is simply amazing.

Asides being a very strong and dedicated runner and athlete - she is the reason we have such unique finisher medals, award and swag for our races.  She is also the catalyst for most our social runs and meet ups.

Asides being busy with family and life, I will see her out running with her friends, coming out to run clubs or just simply trespassing on peoples lawns during a group run because she just needs a picture with that sweet Christmas decoration as her friends warn her from a distance to get off that strangers lawn.

Congrats again to Wendy on a year of pushing our runners and the club in the right direction, I can't wait to see what is to come for the rest of the year running wise and creatively at the Goose!

Preston SCHaffer

We had a ton of submissions from our club - runners ranging from first ultras, first marathons, consecutive major marathon finishes, increasingly stronger PRs in all available distances - but the one runner who gained the most votes was Preston!

He had one big year perfecting the Backyard Ultra format. Ultras are a grind in it most basic form with changing elevation, weather and a long winding course that usually takes at least double the usual time a road race takes - the backyard ultra is 1 hour to complete 6.7km/4.1 miles, with a new lap starting at the top of the hour.

Preston set a Saskatchewan record with 33 laps (221 km) at the BC Backyard Ultra in April 2024, then reset the record to 35 laps (235 km) at the Grassroots Backyard in Alberta in Aug 2024, finishing it and making it to Team Canada.  At the worlds event he set another new provincial record of 36 laps (242 km) in the championships race.

Let's all celebrate what a strong and amazing runner we have with Preston, congrats on such an amazing year and I can't wait to see what 2025 has in store.

Heidi Schmaltz

New category this year is a special award for those who help aid our fellow runners effortlessly and without thought of their own needs first. This year's winner is Heidi!

This person will jump right into medic mode before you know you need a medic and have candy ready to go before you realize you need sugar or liquids. The slightest mention of needing help or support for something she is ready and able to show up - I have never heard a no from this person. The number of times I have seen her take a foot apart and happily pop blisters is slightly fantastic, but crazy.

She has some incredible running accolades in the backyard ultras and her extreme drive for the 200 miler, never hearing a thing about her individual results. She will at the drop of a hat come support a run, pace a race or just come out and be the vice president of the "silly goose club" - all this without a watch or need to record those distances and time on her feet.

Hours of supporting back of the pack marathons at the finish line on the hottest day in recent years at QCM, grinding out 100 mile pacers at western states, yet still able to dress up and play a 5 km game of tag at park run.

Congrats to you Heidi and thank you for being our emotional support runner throughout the year!