  | ||
| Maureen Orchard | ||
 | 2015 | |
 | Coach Referee | |
Maureen Orchard has dedicated most of her life to the game of basketball in Manitoba, nationally and internationally. She began as a player in the 1960s, coached 1963-1975 and refereed from 1965 to 1980. She was first elected to the Basketball Manitoba Board of Directors in 1963, a position she held for over 40 years . During her time on the board, she was president 1973-81 and treasurer for 24 years. She was the Director of Basketball for the Pan American Games in Winnipeg in 1999 and was elected to the Board of Directors for Basketball Canada in 1975, serving as the director of our Canadian national teams 1977-81. In addition, she was also a member of the board for the original Manitoba Sports Federation (Sport Manitoba) for 14 years and a member of the Manitoba Games Council for 3 years. In 1985, she began her involvement in wheelchair sports. She served as president of the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association (CWBA) 1993-98 and was elected President of the International Wheelchair Basketball Association (IWBF) in 2002, a position she held for 12 years. In this role she championed development within the international zones and enhanced opportunities for junior athletes and women. In 2007 she received the Order of Sport Excellence award from Sport Manitoba. Furthermore, she has acted as a Technical Delegate in three Paralympic Games and, in 2012, she received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her many contributions to the advancement of the Paralympic movement in Canada. She has received many other awards in recognition of her lifetime volunteer efforts.