Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Bill Pierson was recognized for over 50 years of dedication to the sport of gymnastics earlier this month, earning Gymnastics Ontario’s Lil Babineau Club Builder Award.
The Greater Napanee Gymnastics Club president was recognized for his achievements at an award ceremony held in Toronto.
On his nomination form, staff at GNGC highlighted Pierson’s long involvement in the sport, which dates back to the 1960s as a teacher at NDSS. During that time he trained both boys and girls for OFSAA competitions. When the sport was dropped from OFSAA in the 1980s, he continued to train the girls team for other competitions and with the help of his team members, he began to train younger athletes in the community, using the high school as floor space. During that time he held several fundraisers to purchase equipment and help to subsidize the travel costs for provincial competitions.
Even after his retirement from teaching in the late 1990s, he continued to train athletes at the high school until the space he was allotted was repurposed. With no place left to train, his community program was in danger of being discontinued.
Undeterred, he formed the GNGC, on which he still serves as a board member today. He continues to visit the club on a nearly daily basis the 74-year-old celebrates his birthday every year by performing a back tuck on the trampoline.