Photo Credit: CAO Website
The Ontario Coaching Excellence Award is handed out annually and the 2023 winning coaches were recognized with a VIP Toronto Blue Jays suite experience at the Rogers Centre, celebrating the top provincial coaching honour across all sports and levels, and the integral role coaches play with their team, sport and community.
Munroe, a registered coach and the owner-operator of Lone Pine Stable received top coaching honors as part of National Coaches Week. This recognition came as a pleasant surprise for Munroe, who was nominated by riders at her stable.
Reflecting on the moment, Munroe shared, “It was unexpected. They told me that they had done it, but I wasn’t quite sure what it was. One day, while I was working during riding camps, I received a call from someone I didn’t know, and Brooke from the Coaching Association of Ontario informed me that I had won the award.”
With her 70th birthday approaching in December, Mary has over six decades of involvement with horses, dating back to when she was just seven years old. She fondly recalls her childhood, saying, “When I was growing up as a little one, we always had ponies. We never had much – I never had a bicycle until I was an adult. We always traveled by ponies; that’s how we got around. We would visit friends on ponies; they were our mode of transportation.”
Photo Credit: CAO Website ( L ) and Ganonque Now ( R )
With her lifelong passion for horses, Munroe holds a special place in the hearts of her community and stable members. She was deeply moved by the sentiments expressed by her clients, saying, “I know they feel strongly about how well I teach and treat them, but seeing their words in writing was quite touching.”
Munroe’s recognition stemmed from her unwavering dedication and fervor for horses and coaching, driven by her commitment to helping her athletes not only excel in sports but also in life. Winning coaches are also awarded a $500 prize reimbursement to be used on purchases they make for their team, club or organization, from local Ontario and Canadian businesses, proudly provided by Hydro One Inc.
The CAO is an independent, non-profit organization that supports coaches from community level to high performance across all sports in Ontario. The Coaching Excellence Award recipients were selected from numerous nominations received by the CAO across 35-plus sports and 60-plus communities.
Photo Credit: CAO Website