Athlete. Coach. Official. Organizer. Administrator. Helena Myllyniemi has done it all and done it very well.
Helena began her archery career in her native Finland in 1960. After starting a family and, in 1964, moving to Canada, Helena returned to Archery in 1976 with the Victoria Bowmen. For over 45 years, Helena has fostered interest in and love for Archery as a National Team Coach and national, provincial and local administrator. She remains active in the sport to this day.
Helena has had a distinguished coaching career, having coached master, senior, junior and Invictus athletes to a multitude of medals at the local, provincial, national and international levels. An NCCP Level III Coach and Coaching Course Conductor, she joined the first national coaching staff in 1985 and has coached at many National Championships, Team Trials and Team Training Camps. She has also conducted coaching clinics across Canada.
For many years, Helena coached the Victoria Bowmen’s Junior Olympic Program. She has coached two Olympians, countless BC and Canadian Champions, and more recently, two Invictus Games Gold medallists. Helena has coached athletes at two World Field Championships (Ladies Gold in 1984 and Ladies Silver in 1986) and, in 1987, took the national team to the Pan American Games where they won Men’s individual Bronze and Men’s team Bronze.
As an athlete herself, Helena has won medals in many Canadian, BC and Club Championships, the most recent being a Silver at the 2022 55+ Games in Victoria.
Helena is involved in all aspects of the sport she loves. She served as Secretary of BC Archery from 1979 to 1980 and has been Treasurer of the Victoria Bowmen for 43 years. She is a National Judge who has judged many years at the provincial and national levels. She has served as Manager of the BC Team at the Canada Games and Canadian Team at World Championships. She was Assistant Director of Shooting for the World Target Championships and has served on the organizing committees for multiple National and BC Championships.
Helena excels at introducing the sport to new archers. For 13 years, she taught the Archery Program at the University of Victoria, upgrading the program to Coach Level I certification. For the past 30 years, she has also instructed archers aged eight to 80+ years at Saanich Commonwealth Place.
Recognized with the 3M Coaching Recognition Award (1990), the Federation of Canadian Archers Volunteer of the Year Award (1994), the Sport BC President’s Award (2020), and Victoria Bowmen life membership, Helena was the first-ever inductee into the BC Archery Hall of Fame in 2022.

Jim Hubbard (aka “Mother” Hubbard) is well known around sports circles in Victoria from playing, coaching, umpiring, administrating and being the famous “Mad Viking” for the perennial National Champion University of Victoria (UVic) Vikes basketball teams.

Jim’s involvement in rugby goes back to the 1970s, first as a player with the James Bay Athletic Association (JBAA) and later as JBAA manager for 19 years. Along with Coach Tillman Briggs (GVSHOF inductee 1996), Jim was a huge contributor to the culture of the JBAA. He joined the National Rugby Centre as Manager of the Pacific Pride Rugby National Under 23 Team from 1996-2005 and, during that time, he coordinated and managed five Canadian U23 national team overseas tours and two eastern Canadian tours. He was also involved with the Senior Men’s National Rugby Team during the lead up to the 1999 and 2003 Rugby World Cups.

Jim was also a softball umpire and administrator. He umpired at all levels in Greater Victoria and was known for his colourful personality and style. After the Victoria Bates moved to the Northwest League In 1971, Jim was elected as President of Major Men’s Softball at Central Park in Victoria. The league survived due in no small part to his efforts. Jim’s contributions to the softball community include:
• District Commissioner, Softball B.C (1975 – 84)
• Founder of the Lower Island Softball Umpires Association (1985)
• President of the Lower Island Softball Umpires Association (1985 – 89)
• Deputy Umpire in Chief, Softball B.C (1985 – 90)

Jim was honoured with the Softball Canada Distinguished Service Award in 1993 and Washington State Umpires Association Award for Leadership and Teaching in 2004.

Despite his immense contributions to rugby and softball, Jim may best be known as the “Mad Viking” for the UVic Vikes basketball teams. He was famous across the country and graced many Canadian Championships. Legendary Vikes Coach Ken Shields (GVSHOF inductee 2003), said “I cannot remember him (Jim) missing a game in 13 years. He became a valuable member of the team and his insight into the character of each player was uncanny. His commitment to the team and the effort and energy that he brought to the job was a model for our players. Our goal was to be the best and he was undoubtedly the best in the country for what he did. ‘Mother’ Hubbard was a key contributor to the winning tradition established by the Basketball Vikes”.

Jim gave of himself to the cause of amateur sport in a selfless manner and left a positive impression with everyone he met - when you met Jim, he would always greet you with “huddy huddy!”

Jim was honoured for his extraordinary contribution, commitment and dedication as a volunteer to sport in Victoria by being awarded the Greater Victoria Sports Council Kiwanis Distinguished Service Award in 1990 and Canadian Indicator Club Distinguished Service Award in 1996.