The WMA president would like to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of council member, Vice-President of Competition: Brian Keaveney, following his award for 50 years officiating within the Canadian Athletics System.
==============
On Saturday August 14th at the Ontario Masters Athletics Championship meet, Brian was presented with his 50-year award for officiating in track and field in Ontario. The presentation was on the track at the Toronto Track and Field Centre, surrounded by the officials working the OMA meet. Many of the officials in attendance have known Brian in his many roles, high school teacher, coach, fellow runner and now official at most of the meets in the GTA.
Brain has been very active in the Masters Athletics, provincially, nationally and internationally.
Brian was a member of the OMA Board of Directors for 23 years, from 1984 to 2007, beginning at the urging of the first president, Ross Cruickshank, who had noticed Brian’s enthusiasm and experience in track and field as a starter and coach for high school track and cross-country.
He served as President in 1987, 1988, 1996, and 1997. He was the Meet Director of the OMA Indoor Championships for 23 years. Brian has been a member of the CMAA/CMA since 1985, serving as President from 2005 to 2009, Vice-President (Stadia), and as the team manager for many Canadian Masters’ teams at World Masters Athletics (WMA) meets since 1991 in Turku, Finland.
As an athlete, he had personal bests of 3:15 in the marathon, and 40 minutes in the 10K.
As an internationally qualified race-walk judge, he has been the Chief Walks Judge at many WMA and NCCWMA championships and AO and AC race walk events. Brian is a Provincial Technical Manager and can be found in the garage at TTFC. He also has other technical skills including road course measurement,
field surveying and serving as the starter for track events. There is no job at a track meet that is too small for Brian to do, whether measuring in the pits, setting up hurdles, organising the officials, or cleaning up afterwards. Brian is often one of the first to arrive on site and the last to pack up to head home after the meet is done for the day.
His technical and organisational expertise in athletics also has led him beyond our borders to roles including President of the North, Central and Caribbean region of WMA; Vice-president (Non-stadia) for WMA and now the Vice-president of competition for World Masters Athletics which includes track and
field, road running, race walking, marathons, ultramarathons, and mountain running.
Brian is the NCCMA Record Coordinator for North America. He has provided the review and approval of both Stadia and Non-Stadia facilities for many international indoor and outdoor championship venues.
He was a technical advisor for major refurbishment of both the indoor and outdoor facilities at the Toronto Track & Field Centre at York University.
If Brian is in charge of a meet, one can be confident that the highest standards of meet management and officiating will be met. Brian was inducted in the OMA Hall of Fame in 2010. Brian receiving a plaque on the 20th anniversary of being the Indoor Meet Director.
Brian has been involved in many activities outside of Athletics too. He is a member of the Friends of Sam Smith Park in Etobicoke, Trail Captain for the Bruce Trail Conservancy in the Peninsula section, Involved with the now looking for a new home, Canadian Air and Space Museum, an active social member of the Lakeshore Yacht Club.
As the saying goes ask a busy person to help and the task will get done
Congratulations Brian !
