A marvellous turnout at both celebrations met five Humboldt heroes at the Dinner of Champions and the Saturday Meet and Greet for the 2024 Humboldt Sports Hall of Fame Inductions. Three athletes and two builders were welcomed to the fold on Friday night with the gala dinner held at Jubilee Hall in the Humboldt Uniplex. The Meet and Greet took place Saturday morning courtesy of the Humboldt and District Museum.  

We’ll unfold our conversation with three of the five - Olympic medalist in track and field, Brianne Theisen-Eaton, provincial and national award-winning wrestler Ryan Schedlosky, and weightlifting coach and official Jocelyn Moe, in our two-part series.  

Brianne Theisen-Eaton's well chronicled track and field career has taken her to the corners of the world competing in women’s heptathlon and pentathlon at the highest levels. In her remarks at the Friday night dinner and induction ceremony, Theisen-Eaton was quick to recognize the efforts of the local coaches who recognized her potential and shepherded her to the provincial coaches through the Legion track camps. Some of those coaches were in the Friday audience, and they were able to catch up with Brianne during the evening and at Saturday’s meet and greet for a chat. 

“I remember my favourite days of the year were Muenster Track Days – it always started with Muenster, and we’d go to Saskatoon for districts and provincials, but Muenster was always the favourite,” she mused during the meet and greet. “It was a day off school with all my friends and time to do a sport that I just loved. Track is where I really learned the meaning of community. I had this amazing group of people around me, not only kids my age but adults. I have so many memories.” 

She recalled the good times and the challenges all with fondness. Brianne recalled with her dad, Cal Theisen, a year when the Muenster Track at St. Peter’s Abbey had a late run-off and early spring rains resulting in a flood on the bend. Rather than cancel or shift venues, the community of coaches and parents brought in gravel and sand to shore up the sagging surface. Each runner had to overcome the additional challenge, but that was all part of the small-town competition and the spirit in the face of adversity.  

It was all part of the journey, Brianne says. Whether it was borrowing hurdles from the high school and setting them up in the back alley, or travelling miles to participate in Legion Track Camps, her parents, her coaches, and ultimately her community had her back throughout her athletic career.  

“This is where I came from, and I wouldn’t change any of it.” 

Those were many of the same sentiments for Ryan Schedlosky, who started off on the football field with the HCI Mohawks during their provincial heyday. While the then 97-pound athlete didn’t look the part of the football hero, he was a contributor to the provincial dynasty of the Mohawks. However, one of his coaches, who was knowledgeable in wrestling, saw a determination and lithe athleticism in Schedlosky that he figured would translate well to the mats.  

The challenge of starting a wrestling team where none existed was simply part of Ryan’s journey, one that would launch him into a new coaching and competition sphere in Saskatoon. 

“At first I looked sideways, but he told me you’re a little guy and this fits you well,” recalls Schedlosky. “As much as we only had the team for one year, it was a springboard for me to take it to another level. It required extra commitment and energy, mostly on my family’s behalf, for getting me around and to Saskatoon three to five days a week for all the fun.”  

Schedlosky took to his new sport with passion and energy and quickly became a name to watch in his weight class. It was a new experience as well in that wrestling relies on individual effort more than on the mechanics of a team. Ryan relished that element of training and competition.  

“When you look across the mat, and it’s me against you, there are no excuses – no one to hide behind. Either you put in the effort, and you see the success, or you didn’t and you found out pretty quickly.” 

His steadfast determination and resilience over injury kept him in the sport long after others would have packed it in. Again, the humble beginning led to a remarkable reunion with his school mates in celebration of athletics years later. 

Finally, for builder Jocelyn Moe, her volunteering spirit and desire to see her children have an opportunity to participate in competitive weightlifting has taken her worldwide on a journey of learning she says she could barely have imagined.  

Humboldt had a small competitive weightlifting club in the 1990’s, but with the departure of the local coach, it looked as though the venture would fold, leaving kids with no alternative but to leave the sport or migrate to Saskatoon clubs. Instead, Jocelyn stepped up, and with the pre-loaded knowledge of the sport, began training to achieve her coaching credentials. As the kids ascended the rungs of the sport, she continued her training to provide the group with the certified instruction they needed. The induction into the Hall of Fame stands as a testament to that tireless contribution.  

“It was such an honour to be inducted last night,” Jocelyn said, “I never dreamed that I would be part of that group to be inducted. There’s so much volunteerism out there, and I’m just thrilled to be part of it. I’ve always enjoyed doing volunteer work – it’s been a part of me, so I don’t think I’ll ever quit volunteering.” 

Jocelyn and her husband Leo have settled in Medicine Hat to be closer to their kids, and she’s already racking up hours volunteering with various organizations while maintaining her connections to weightlifting as an official. What began as a necessary volunteer post for her children’s sport has gone on to support hundreds of athletes in training and competition. 

“I love when I can work with them and see how happy it makes them and how inspired they feel.” 

We’ll catch up with our other two inductees, Olympic bobsledder Lyndon Rush and coach of all trade, builder Mike Suchan, in the second installment of our two-part celebration with this year’s Humboldt Sports Hall of Fame entrants.