ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Introduced at the Alberta Powerlifting Union's AGM in 2018, the Athlete of the Year was created to recognize APU members who have seen athletic success at the highest levels of our sport. These are athletes who are national champions, world-level athletes and/or champions and embody the character and athletic integrity of the APU. Nominated by members of the APU on a yearly basis and voted on by the APU Executive, the criteria to be weighed when considering an Athlete of the Year is as follows:
- Performance at international and/or national championships
- Obtained records, international placing, and a high lifter coefficient ranking
- Demonstrates character, sportsmanship, and athletic integrity as a member of the APU
2022: Maria Frank
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The APU is proud to introduce Maria Frank as this year's Athlete of the Year. Maria (also affectionately as Mimi) has been powerlifting in the APU since 2015 and since then, has seen a tremendous amount of success at both the National and World level.
She has won best female bench presser many times, including at the 2020 National Championships, holds multiple National records across different weight classes and disciples, and has medalled multiple times representing team Canada. At the 2021 World Bench Press Championships, Mimi won Bronze in the 52kg Classic division with a lift of 95kg and Silver in the 57kg Equipped division with a lift of 122.5kg. She also most recently benched the heaviest Bench Press in APU history by a female at the 2022 APU Provincial Championships with a 138kg Bench, and impressive feat and large milestone for a lifter. Along with her accomplishments as a lifter, Mimi can also be seen giving back to the sport by volunteering at various meets across Alberta. A quality we love to see in our APU community from such an accomplished athlete. We are proud to call Mimi one of our own and we hope to see her continued accomplishments in the future. Congratulations Mimi! You have made the APU proud! |
2021: Bryce Krawczyk
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The 2021 Athlete of the Year award goes to Bryce Krawcyzk. Not only is Bryce a seasoned lifter, but he has competed in multiple World Championships in both Classic and Equipped divisions, including winning Silver at the 2016 IPF World Classic Championships. Bryce is also the current World Record holder in the Deadlift in two separate weight classes and divisions: 105kg Classic at 388kg/854lbs and 120kg Equipped at 385.5kg/848lbs.
In addition to his athletic career, Bryce is a great supporter of the APU community as he has hosted many local meets in Calgary, and is a current APU Referee and volunteers his time at many events around the province. He also creates and distributes free educational content for lifters, especially beginners hoping to understand more about their technique as they grow into the sport. Bryce serves as an excellent role model in the APU community and we are proud to call him one of ours! |
2020: KOJO GYENNIN
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The APU's Athlete of the Year award for 2020 goes to Kojo Gyennin. Kojo is a longtime athlete in the APU and can always be seen volunteering at multiple events in the province. Most often, you can find Kojo on the platform spotting and loading with a smile and he always brings a lot of encouragement to his fellow lifters.
As an athlete, Kojo has won multiple CPU National titles, has competed at the Arnold Sports Festival, and has competed at two IPF World Classic Championships. Most recently, he competed at the 2019 IPF World Classic Championships in Sweden, where he not only won his class, but was also crowned Champion of Champions in the M1 Division with a 665kg/1463lbs total at a bodyweight of 73.35kg/161lbs. To not only win World's, but also be crowned Champion of Champions is a feat that very few people in our sport achieve, and we are tremendously proud of Kojo's accomplishments as a member of the APU. He a shining example of hard work, dedication to our sport, and overall just a great athlete and person. Congratulations Kojo! |
2019: JASON LUO
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The APU's Inaugural Athlete of the Year award goes to Jason Luo. Jason is a multiple CPU National Champion, has competed in 4 IPF World Classic Championships and was the World Silver medalist in the Junior 59kg for 2016, 2017, and 2018.
At the 2018 World Championships, Jason also broke both the World Deadlift and Total Records (241.5kg/531lbs and 556.5kg/1224lbs respectively) at a bodyweight of 58.79kg/129lbs. Jason is the epitome of hard work and dedication in the sport, and has always shown great strength of character when the going got tough. Always there with a smile and encouraging words, Jason serves as an example to other lifters in the APU. Congratulations Jason, we are proud to have you as part of our community! |
