He had a solid record as an amateur boxer - his nickname was Silent Danger - but it was as a coach and organizer that Mike Caird really made his mark. After spending 11 years with the gloves on and guided by Nick Listor at the Esquimalt club, 24-year-old Mike put his energies into coaching in 1965. He began training young fighters at his Millstream-Langford club, passing on lessons he learned from Nick. Mike later coached at the Victoria Boys Club, the London Boxing Club and Victoria Athletic Association before going solo. Not only did he work with his boxers, he worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep the sport alive. He prepared dozens of fighters for high-level tournaments and saw his charges win everything from the B.C. Golden Gloves to the Canadian championships. A highlight was coaching Donnie Orr Jr. from his start as a 12-year old to winning the Canadian middleweight title and boxing in the 2000 Olympics.

Having achieved national and international recognition for his on-the-field efforts in rugby, Don Burgess could just as easily be installed in the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame as a player. A high school track star before he was introduced to the game, Burgess took to rugby quickly. His combination of speed, finesse and toughness endeared him to his Oak Bay Wanderers teammates as well as their supporters. But it was his kicking prowess that enabled him to reach great heights. A nine-time scoring champion in the Island league, he led the Wanderers to six league and two provincial championships in the late 1950s and early '60s. The fullback was a standout on Island, B.C. and national teams that faced top international competition and was capped 33 times. Upon hanging up his boots in 1971 - he was Wanderers' player-coach the final eight years - he focused his talents on coaching, both with Oak Bay and at Mount Newton junior high. He later coached provincial junior teams and guided the Canadian under-21 side to three North American titles. He was named to the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 2000.

See more in King Lee’s article by clicking here