Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame: Milt Stegall highlights 2023 inductees

The next class of inductees into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame has been announced and it is headlined by a former Winnipeg Blue Bomber great.

There will be six inductees for 2023, including three individual athletes, two builders and one team.

The biggest name on the list is former Blue Bombers wide receiver Milt Stegall.

Stegall spent his entire 14-year CFL career in Winnipeg, being named an all-star nine times. During his career, he earned the Most Outstanding Player Award and the Tom Pate Memorial Award.

When he retired, he held the CFL's record for most receiving yards and still holds the record for the most receiving touchdowns.

He has stayed involved in the game after retiring, as he is now an analyst for TSN's CFL broadcasts.

Joining Stegall is former marathon runner Chris Glowach.

He became the first Manitoban to win gold for the provincial marathon and did it in back-to-back years – 1997 and 1998.

He has also won four golds in the Edmonton Marathon and has run clinics for the Manitoba Marathon and Run for the Cure.

"I'm a sports junkie. So I know so many of the names when I go through it now and to be having my name up there, it's incredible," said Glowach, speaking with CTV News Winnipeg.

He said he didn't come from an athletic background and was too short to play sports like basketball and volleyball.

"I heard one day that running doesn't require any skill and you just put one foot in front of the other and repeat. So I just started doing that and I guess I got fairly good at it."

Glowach said his wife and father-in-law really helped him with his running career and it was his father-in-law who convinced him to run in his first marathon.

From the land to the water, the next inductee was a natural in the pool. Winnipegger Kelly Stefanyshyn dominated in the Pan American Games in 1999, winning three medals, which included a gold in 100-metre backstroke.

She also wore the Maple Leaf proud as she represented Canada in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, competing in the 100m and 200m backstroke, as well as the 4x100 medley relay.

In the builder category, the first inductee is Brent Bottomley, who was a cross-country skier, but was also an advisor for both the provincial and federal governments.

He was the Chair of the Cross Country Skiing Association of Manitoba for 14 years and founded the Red River Nordic Ski Club and Prairie Storm – Canada's first all-women's ski team.

Brent passed away in 2018, but his wife Kym said this is an amazing honour for him and the entire family.

"I could go on for hours about all that he did. But he was a guy that put a lot of effort into skiing and was passionate about skiing on all levels, from the grassroots, all the way up to the seniors," said Kym.

She said he made sure everyone, including volunteers, were recognized for their work in the sport and even created a Chairman's Award to help with that recognition.

The other builder is Alex Gardiner. He was a former coach with Athletics Canada and helped athletes reach their potential at a variety of levels, including on the Olympic stage.

He was named to the Sport Manitoba Order of Excellence in 2022 and also received awards like the Pat Gill Legacy Award and Coach of the Year.

In the team category, we head to the pebbled ice. In 1965, Terry Braunstein's curling team – made up of Braunstein, Ray Turnbull, Ron Braunstein and Don Duguid – won the Brier and competed in the Scotch Cup, finishing runner-up.

However, the success didn't start there, as in 1958, they became provincial champions and did so while all were under the age of 20.

"It means a lot. It's huge to get nominated and inducted into the Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame. I played all kinds of sports over the year and loved them. So that was my favourite pastime," said Terry Braunstein.

Duguid said he has been involved in the sport since he was seven years old and his dad was also an icemaker.

For Duguid, it was amazing to represent Canada on the world stage.

"We just had a great time and we thought we were going to win because we were a very strong team. We entertained people and had a lot of fun," said Duguid.

Each of these athletes will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Nov. 2, with a ceremony at the Victoria Inn.

- With files from CTV's Ainsley McPhail