Community Builder
Frank D’Amore
Year of Induction: 2017
Kamloops born and raised businessman and entrepreneur, Frank D’Amore, has spent a lifetime of immersing himself in the Tournament Capital of Canada’s sports scene.
The creation of the Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame serves as his greatest & lasting achievement. D’Amore’s undying passion for the project and his ties to both the business and sports communities have brought it all together.
It all began with himself and friends organizing memorial dances in memory of Roger Leroux from 1985-1990. This began the funding process for the hall. The events grew from small gatherings to present day banquets of 400+. An estimated $400,000 raised through banquet ticket sales, 50-50 sales, auctions and sponsorships went into the construction of the revamped and relocation of the KSHF to the Tournament Capital Centre.
Community Builder
Lindsey Karpluk
Lindsey Karpluk’s love of playing sports initiated with community teams in baseball, softball and hockey but picked up vastly in the school system playing basketball, rugby and football as a youth. He was a quarterback of the Kam High Red Devils and later coached the Defensive Backs with the team for three years.
Karpluk went on to a teaching career in the district and is currently teaching history and physical education at Norkam Secondary, where he has been for the past 7 years.
While his mainstay sport has been coaching junior and senior basketball, his work as an administrator and organizer have also been noticed. He was one of the ‘go to’ guys for the Fulton Cup high school tournament, the Provincial AA Championships, the Canadian Junior Championships and basketball in the 1993 Canada Summer Games.
Media
Rick “The Bear” Wile
Year of Induction: 2017
Known as the Bear’, Rick Wile is acknowledged as one of the voice pillars of sport in the community of Kamloops and is the first member of the media to be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Before moving to B.C. Wile covered numerous high profile sporting events living in Winnipeg and Thunder Bay.
Once arriving to Kamloops, he was able to lend his experience and expertise while the city had begun its run as the Tournament Capital of Canada. This included an unprecedented reign of championships for the Kamloops Blazers, Kam High Red Devils, and B.C. high school football in general. His coverage included that of Provincial, National & International events.
Wile also organized, coached and played men’s slo-pitch for many years in Kamloops. He oversaw the growth of the Interior Men’s Slo-Pitch League to 18 teams while hosting Provincial and National championships.
Team
South Kamloops Secondary Girls’ Basketball Team
Year of Induction: 2017
The South Kamloops Titans Sr. Girls Basketball Team won Provincial High School AAA Championships in 2012 and 2013. The team was coached by Ken Olynyk with Sean Lamoureux, Jane Wolfram, and Cory Yamoaka serving as assistant coaches.
Four girls, Elizabeth Anderson, Ashley Lamoureux, Maya Olynyk, and Emma Wolfram, played on both championship squads
Other team members in 2012 included Sienna Aberdeen, Hailey Hamer-Jackson, Abby Grinberg, Madison Ellis, Bethany Del Begio, and Kiersten Landrie. Rounding out the 2013 team was Mieke Dumont, Emma Piggin, Anna Frankel, Daylynne Agar, Kanesha Reeves, Becca Peters, Emily Vilac, and Christine Clyde (manager).
SKSS beat the York House Tigers of Vancouver 65-61 to win the 2012 title and the Brookswood Bobcats of Langley 59-49 in the 2013 final to be the first back to back champions from Kamloops since 1962. The Titans won 8 straight games in the provincials to accomplish the feat.
Wolfram, now on scholarship at Gonzaga University in Spokane, also played in the 2011 season and was named the outstanding defensive player in all three provincial tournaments. She was the MVP in both championship years averaging 16.5 pts, 17.8 rebounds, and 7.3 blocked shots per game in 2012 and following it up with averages of 14.5 pts, 18 rebounds, and 8 blocked shots per game in 2013. Olynyk was a first-team all-star both years. Abby Grinberg was a second-team all-star in 2012, and Emma Piggin was an honourable mention in the second year.