Gillian Thomas

Gill with Canadian Women's Fastball Championship Team. (front row, far left)

Powerhouse hitter!!

Gill with her field hockey team. (middle row, far right)

Gillian Thomas joins just six other Athlete All Rounders in the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame and is the first female athlete to be so honoured. Over a long and illustrious career, Gill excelled in field hockey, softball, squash, badminton, tennis and basketball.

In 1957 Gill started her outstanding athletic accomplishments when just 12 years old as she won the junior girls singles tennis championship in Victoria . She paired with Ray Aldeguer in 1961 to win the Club Mixed Doubles Championships and in 1962 with her partner, Margaret Foreman, scored second in the Provincial Doubles Championship. At the same time she was on the Victoria High school basketball team that won the 1962 Vancouver Island High school championship, and a year later she played on the senior B championship basketball team.

In badminton, two years, later Gill teamed with Alison Daysmith to win the Canadian Junior badminton Doubles in Montreal. She won the B.C. Junior badminton singles title In 1965, and the next year, playing out of the Victoria Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club, she was the club women's singles champion.

Gill started her senior softball career in Victoria in 1961, playing for the Vicettes under the coaching of Hall of Famer Walter Yeamans. The team won the Senior "B" Provincial championships in 1961 and 1962, and in 1963 they won the Western Regional Canadian Championships. Following as a Senior "A" team in 1965, they won the Provincial Championships and were finalists in the Canadian Championships in Winnipeg. Gill moved to Vancouver in 1966, to play for the Senior "A" team called the Vancouver Texacos. They won the Provincial Championships in 1966 and 1967. In 1969 the Texacos, now called the Eldorados, went to Halifax for the first Canada Summer Games where they won bronze.

In 1970, Gill won the South Hill top batter league award with a .492 batting average. In 1972, the team had a new sponsor, Green and Louie Realtors, and they became the first BC team to win a Canadian Championship. Gill was named the all-star shortstop at the tournament and later was inducted into the Vancouver South Hill Sports Softball Hall of Fame.

From 1963 to 1965 she played for the Victoria Greyhounds Field Hockey Team and was then named to the BC team that won the National tournament held in Vancouver. In 1966, she was recruited for the Canadian team and played as a speedy right wing. Gill is remembered for entering the scoring circle and blasting one of her legendary rocket shots on goal. The team toured Jamaica in 1966 in preparation for the Women's International Tournament, held in West Germany the following year. After the World Championship was over, they played games in Holland, Ireland, and Scotland.

Gill qualified for the BC Women's Squash Team in 1977, 78, and 79, and she won the BC Women's Senior "A" Singles Squash Championship held in Victoria to become the number one ranked player in the Province.

SPONSORED BY MANN, MOULSON & CO.

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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