Nancy Craig

Nancy Craig is among the best female table tennis players that Canada has ever produced. She went a long way from her beginnings, where she learned the game playing on her grandfather's kitchen table and later in the family's chicken coop. By 1944, Nancy, a 16-year-old junior gained prominence by winning her first ladies singles championship. She rose to win a remarkable total of 66 singles titles in 30 seasons between 1944 and 1974. She was the Victoria City Ladies Singles champion 17 times, BC champion 10 times, Western Canadian champion 10 times, Pacific Northwest champion 11 times and Washington State Open champion 11 times. 1951 was her best ever season when she laid claim to no less than 7 titles and in 1956 was ranked as the second best ladies player in Canada. However, she never had the opportunity to participate in a national tournament until, in her late 30's, she was named to the BC team to compete in the 1st ever Canada Games held in Quebec.

Flying Y celebration in 2000

The Victoria Flying "Y" was one of the greatest athletic juggernauts Canadian sports have ever seen. Between 1930 and 1962, Archie McKinnon's Victoria YMCA track and field and swim teams placed at least one, and usually more, athletes on every Canadian team to the Summer Olympics and Commonwealth Games. Over that period, Flying "Y" athletes, a virtual Who's Who of Canadian track and field and swimming, set more than 50 Canadian records and won numerous international medals. "Cherish the medals," coach and mentor Archie McKinnon used to tell his Flying "Y" athletes. "But always keep in mind that they don't represent the be-all and end-all of sport, the real thing of value is the sweat and work that went into it. " Some of the credit goes to the Victoria Flying "Y" volunteer coaches who helped Archie and his athletes build this record and includes the likes of Bruce Humber, Bob Johnstone, Bob Dorhety, Joan Langdon, Al Aylward, Bob Hutchison, Harry Mitchell, Jack Todd and Rafael Melendez-Duke among many others.

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saveonABOUT THE GREATER VICTORIA
SPORTS HALL OF FAME

Victoria enjoys a stellar sports history and we celebrate the many athletes, teams and builders who have contributed to that history.  Our displays are seen at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre (1925 Blanshard St.)  through Gate Three.

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