Young women and men from across Newfoundland and Labrador were honoured for their achievements as elite athletes today at the annual Premier�s Athletic Awards ceremony in St. John�s.

The Honourable Danny Williams, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, presented 96 award winners representing 26 sports with grants in the amounts of $500, $1000 and $1,500. Premier Williams also announced the first-time winners of the $5,000 Team Gushue Scholarship Award for academic and athletic excellence, established in recognition of Team Gushue�s gold medal victory at the 2006 Olympic Games. Tourism, Culture and Recreation Minister, the Honourable Tom Hedderson, assisted in the presentation of awards to athletes.

"It is inspiring for me to meet and pay tribute to these elite athletes whose hard work, dedication and sacrifices have brought them such success," said Premier Williams. "The great achievements of these young women and men are shining examples of how participation in sport contributes to overall wellness and success. Our government is firmly committed to promoting and supporting our athletes because we recognize that their success encourages excellence in us all. They are role models and I congratulate each of them on their outstanding success."

The Premier�s Athletic Awards are designed to assist the province�s elite athletes by providing financial assistance while competing at Atlantic, national and international events.

"While these awards provide our athletes with important financial assistance for training and competition, this government is further committed to supplying our athletes with the resources they need to excel at the elite level," said Minister Hedderson. "That�s why we have contributed in excess of $2.5 million to the creation of a Newfoundland and Labrador sports centre where our athletes can train for future successes. In Budget 2007, we provided $2.39 million in additional funding to launch a recreation and sport strategy."

The two recipients of this year�s Team Gushue Scholarship Award are Memorial University students Victoria Thistle and Jason Hill, both of St. John�s. Ms. Thistle is a member of the MUN Lady SeaHawks soccer and basketball teams. She was a contributing member of the national bronze-medal winning SeaHawks basketball team and was instrumental in their 2007 AUS Championship season. Mr. Hill is a fast-pitch softball player who has represented Newfoundland and Labrador at the junior and senior men�s championships and has competed at the International Softball Congress World Championships. Both Team Gushue Scholarship Award recipients maintain an academic average above 70 per cent.

This is the inaugural year for these awards, of $5,000 each, which will be presented to one male and female athlete annually who are currently attending, or planning to attend, a recognized post-secondary institution and have competed in a national or international level sporting competition in their last competitive season.

The Premier�s Athletic Awards Program is open to all residents of Newfoundland and Labrador who are registered with a provincial sport organization recognized by the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation. Eligible athletes must be competing for, and continue to compete for, Newfoundland and Labrador at the Canada Games or other national and regional competitions. Athletes must be attending an educational institution on a full-time basis. While the Team Gushue Scholarship award is presented annually during the Premier�s Athletic awards reception, athletes apply through the Sport Newfoundland and Labrador Scholarship Program.

A full list of award winners can be found in the backgrounder attached.

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