2013 Fredericton Sports Wall of Fame Inductees – Don & Ruth Hawkes

The husband and wife team of Don and Ruth Hawkes took the plunge into competitive swimming more than 30 years ago, and haven’t come up for air since.

They have been volunteering, mentoring, educating and promoting swimming locally, provincially and nationally, both on the deck and at the board level, as members of the boards of directors of the Fredericton Aquanaut Swim Team, Swimming New Brunswick and Swimming Canada.

It was Ruth who created the Swim New Brunswick website, maintaining and updating the information for more than 15 years, while also serving as chair of publications.

Don received the prestigious Ken Fillipelli Award for officiating excellence from Swimming Canada in 1996 and over the years, the couple received many awards together, including a special recognition award from Swimming Canada in 1999 and Administrators of the year in 2008, the Rotary International Paul Harris Fellowship in 2006, and the Sport New Brunswick Lifetime Volunteer Achievement Award in 2010.

They have served as mentors to countless swimmers and parents over the years, and continue to give back by offering officiating clinics and passing on their knowledge to the next generation.

They are among the longest serving volunteers with Swimming News. Congratulations Don & Ruth from Swimming New Brunswick!