Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Our Syl Apps Award winner, basketball standout Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had a remarkable 2022-23 season on the hardwood.
Unveiled by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on January 13, 1998, the Syl Apps Award recognizes Ontario’s Athlete of the Year. Named in honour of the former Toronto Maple Leafs’ captain and Olympic and Commonwealth Games pole vaulter Syl Apps, the award is the first of its kind for the Province of Ontario.
Voting for the award is conducted annually by the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. Those eligible to vote include Ontario-based sports writers, broadcasters/personalities with at least 10 years covering sports in this province, members of the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors and the Hall’s Advisory Board. Points are awarded on a five, three and one point structure with voters asked to name their top three athletic performers on their ballot.
To be eligible for the Award, athletes must be Ontario-born or Ontario-based and made an outstanding and memorable contribution to Ontario sports during the previous calendar year.
VIEW OUR FULL LIST WINNERS OF THE SYL APPS AWARD FOR THE ONTARIO ATHLETE OF THE YEAR:
Summer McIntosh
Summer McIntosh started her impressive 2022 season with a preparatory 400-metre event in March. She finished the race in a record time of 4:29:12, setting a record.
Damian Warner – 2021 Syl Apps Award
Damian David George Warner (born November 4, 1989) is a Canadian track and field athlete specializing in decathlon. He is the 2020 Olympic champion and a three-time World medalist (silver in 2015, bronze in 2013 and 2019).
Bianca Andreescu – 2020 Syl Apps Award
Bianca Andreescu’s astronomical rise up the ranks of tennis began with her first WTA tournament victory at the 2019 Indian Wells Masters. Despite entering the year having not played a WTA match in over 14 months, Andreescu had a breakthrough
Virtue and Moir – Syl Apps Award 2019
Partners for two decades, Virtue, from London, Ont., and Moir, from Ilderton, Ont., had been melting hearts since they claimed gold at the 2010 Vancouver Games. They both decided to step away from the sport for two seasons after their
Joey Votto – Syl Apps Award 2018
For the Toronto native, Votto’s greatness, though, is a thing appreciated more by baseball observers than by casual fans. This is in part because he’s not a wall-banging masher at the plate and in part because he plays in Cincinnati,
Penny Oleksiak – Syl Apps Award 2017
Born on June 13, 2000, in Toronto, Ontario, swimmer Penny Oleksiak is Canada’s youngest Olympic gold medallist ever. At just 16 years of age she also holds the Canadian record for winning the most Olympic medals at a single summer
Brad Sinopoli – Syl Apps Award 2016
Brad Sinopoli, wide receiver for the Ottawa Redblacks in the Canadian Football League, was born on April 14th, 1988 in Peterborough, Ontario. Brad grew up playing football and hockey at the highest level, an early sign of his elite athleticism.
Brooke Henderson – Syl Apps Award 2015
In 2014, at the age of 17, Brooke Henderson of Smith Falls was already on top of the world as the number one ranked amateur woman in the world. An impressive year with two top 10 finishes. One at the
Milos Raonic – Syl Apps Award 2014
Milos Raonic ended his competitive tennis journey in 2016 at a career-high No. 3 after earning personal-best 52 wins and reaching Nitto ATP Finals SF (l. to No. 1 Murray after holding 1 MP).