Five athletes, one coach, one official and one builder highlight the Class of 2026
Victoria, B.C. – The Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors are pleased to announce that five athletes, one coach, one official and one builder will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on November 7, 2026 at the Induction Dinner & Ceremony, presented by TD Bank.
This year’s inductees represent excellence across a wide range of sports and contributions to the sporting community—locally, nationally, and internationally. Each inductee has made an enduring impact on the sporting landscape of Greater Victoria and beyond.
“This year is the 32nd induction ceremony and dinner for the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame and this year’s inductees are great champions of their sports,” said Doug Jennings, President of the GVSHoF Board of Directors. “I look forward to celebrating their accomplishments on November 7, 2026 with their many friends and family members as well as our community members and supporters.”
Athletes being inducted this year include Ron Grahame (hockey), Phil Mack (rugby), Riley McCormick (diving), Melanie McQuaid (XTERRA and Triathlon) and Bruce Twamley (soccer). In the Coach category, Peter Vizsolyi (swimming), Official category, Keith Newell (athletics), and Builder category (Royal Victoria Yacht Club) are being inducted.
“We’re proud to support an organization that celebrates achievement across all sports and creates space for diverse stories to be recognized,” said Bruce Gray, District Vice President, TD Bank Group. “The Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame helps make sport more accessible and inclusive while bringing people together to celebrate its rich history and future. Honouring these achievements helps inspire future generations and strengthen the connections that make communities thrive.”
“The Greater Victoria community has a rich sporting history and so many outstanding athletes, coaches, officials and builders,” said Chris Graham, Chair of the Induction Nominations Committee. “Each year, the Induction Nominations Committee has a difficult job to decide which names to put forward for induction to the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame.”
The Induction Dinner & Ceremony will be held at the Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort on November 7, 2026. Tickets for the Induction Dinner & Ceremony are available online. Following the dinner, a visual representation of the Inductees will be added to the physical Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame display at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre concourse (Gate 3).
Over 275 athletes, teams, coaches, officials, builders, and media personalities have been inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame since 1991.
ATHLETES
Ron Grahame – Athlete - Hockey
Born in Victoria, Ron amassed a career total of 114 NHL games with the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings and Quebec Nordiques, where he recorded 50 wins, 5 shutouts, and a 3.80 goals-against average. After a collegiate career with the University of Denver, during which he was named a First Team All-American, Ron was signed by the Houston Aeros of the World Hockey Association. In the 1974–75 season he lead the WHA in wins, shutouts and goals against average and backstopped the club to the AVCO World Trophy, winning both the Ben Hatskin Trophy for best goaltender, First Team All-Star accolades and the WHA Playoff MVP. The following season, he signed with the NHL Boston Bruins in 1978. Ron played 40 games with Boston, won 26 and secured three shutouts with a 2.76 GAA. He was later traded to the Los Angeles Kings where he served for three seasons, before joining the Quebec Nordiques in 1980. After retiring, Ron worked as the Athletic Director at the University of Denver, where he was an Assistant Coach for the men’s hockey team from 1982 -1989.
Phil Mack – Athlete/Coach - Rugby
Phil is one of the most accomplished and influential figures in Canadian rugby history, distinguished not only by his sustained excellence as an international athlete, professional player, and elite coach, but also by his exceptional leadership and character. A Victoria member and proud member of the Toquaht First Nation, Phil represented Canada at the highest level for more than a decade earning 59 caps with Canada’s Senior Men’s XV’s team between 2009 and 2019 and competing at the 2015 and 2019 World Cups. He also appeared in 52 international tournaments with Canada’s men’s sevens program, becoming the most capped player in that program’s history, winning gold medals at the 2011 and 2015 Pan American Games, and earning selection to the HSBC World Sevens Dream Team following Canada’s best ever series finish in 2013-14. He played for the UVic Vikes and is a founding member and player/coach of the Seattle Seawolves which won back-to-back Major League Rugby Championships in 2018 and 2019. He was Head Coach and Technical Lead of Rugby Canada’s Pacific Pride Development Academy and in 2024, he was appointed Attack Coach for Canada’s Men’s National Team. Phil is a role model within the Indigenous community and across BC sport.
Riley McCormick – Athlete - Diving
Riley McCormick is truly a legacy of the 1994 Commonwealth Games. At a young age, he joined the Boardwork Olympicgarten program at Saanich Commonwealth Place and became the youngest diver in the history of the sport to qualify for the Junior Diving Championships at 6 years old. Over his career, he earned over 140 medals, 120 of them gold, and is a 13-time National Springboard and Platform Diving Champion, winning five Pan Am Jr. Diving Championships. In 2006 he finished 4th at the Commonwealth Games and 6th at the FINA World Junior Championships in the 10m platform event. In 2007, Riley earned 11th spot in the 10m platform event at the World Championships. He made his Olympic Games debut in 2008 in the 10m platform event and finished in the top-20. In his second consecutive Olympic Games appearance in 2012, he finished in 11th place in the 10m platform event. In 2011, Riley had a top-10 finish at the FINA World Championships in the 10m platform event. He studied at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona and graduated from law school from the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Melanie McQuaid – Athlete – XTERRA and Triathlon
Melanie is still going strong after an incredible career at the highest level. She is a professional triathlon and mountain bike athlete, triathlon/cycling coach, and freelance writer. Melanie raced as a pro athlete in four different sports and holds titles in mountain bike endurance, mountain bike cross country and mountain bike short track; road cycling criterium and road racing; Olympic, Sprint and Half Ironman triathlon; and offroad XTERRA and ITU cross triathlon. Her titles include: 5 World Champion Titles, 6 Ironman 70.3 Distance Pro Victories, and over 50 professional victories (6-time IM 70.3/Challenge Half Champion, 2-time ITU Cross Triathlon World Champion, 3-time XTERRA World Champion, 10-time Canadian XTERRA Champion, 5-time XTERRA USA Championship Titles and 4-time XTERRA USA Championships Pro Series Overall Title). In 2023, she became the first ever 50-year-old to qualify for and race in the professional field in the Ironman World Championships in Kona.
Bruce Twamley – Athlete/Coach - Soccer
For over 35 years, Bruce played and coached soccer professionally and internationally. He began his professional career with Ipswich Town and played in the English Premier League. In 1975, he played in the North American Soccer League for the Vancouver Whitecaps, New York Cosmos and Minnesota Kicks (1977) and finished his career with the Edmonton Drillers in 1979. He played for Canada’s World Cup Team in the 1972 qualifiers for the 1974 World Cup and the 1977 qualifiers for the 1978 World Cup. Bruce coached the University of Victoria Vikes soccer team to a National Championship in 1987, was an Assistant Coach with Canada’s under 20 Olympic Team winning the CONCACAF Championships in 1986, and Canada’s World Cup Team from 1987-2002. He was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2008 and B.C. Soccer Hall of Fame in 2019.
BUILDERS
Keith Newell – Official/Builder - Athletics
Keith was a leader, mentor and Canadian expert in officiating athletics in Victoria and Canada for over 54 years. He was a senior official at many National and International competitions including Chief Starter's Assistant at the Pan American Games in Winnipeg (1999) and the World Track & Field Championships in Edmonton (2001). He played a leadership role in both the national and provincial officiating oversight bodies, Chairing the National Officials Committee for 10 years and as Chair/member of the Provincial Officials Committee for 15 years. In addition to being one of the highest-level officials in Canada, Keith was also an organizer and coach. He served as Technical Director and Competition Director for many of Canada's high-profile athletics events, including Competition Director for the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria. He was inducted into the BC Athletics Track and Field Association Hall of Fame in 1998 and Athletics Canada Track and Field Association Wall of Honour in 2007. Keith also received a Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and Sport Canada Official of The Year in 2010.
Royal Victoria Yacht Club – Builder - Sailing
A yacht race held to celebrate Queen Victoria’s birthday was the catalyst that led to the creation of the Victoria Yacht Club. The first races were originally contested only by local sportsmen and in 1892, four American boats swept the board which spurred the formation of the Victoria Yacht Club. In 1912, the Royal Victoria Yacht Club (RVYC) moved to Cadboro Bay and in 2020, the Club was recognized by Platinum Clubs of the World as one of the top 50 Yacht Clubs. In 1930, the RVYC organized the first Swiftsure International Yacht Race and in 2025, celebrated its 80th year, with thousands of boats that have participated. The RVYC provides first-class instruction to beginner sailors as well as Olympic competitors. The RVYC was represented at the 2012 Paralympic Summer Games by Members Stacie Louttit and John McRoberts in the SKUD 18 class and Bruce Millar in the Sonar class. In addition, RVYC member Richard Clarke competed in the Star class at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
Peter Vizsolyi – Coach/Builder - Swimming
For more than four decades, Peter has shaped the landscape of swimming in British Columbia and across Canada. Peter’s lifelong dedication to swimming began as an athlete in the 1960s, before he transitioned to coaching in 1976. Since 1983, he has served as Head Coach of the University of Victoria Swim Team, where he built one of the country’s most successful and enduring university programs. His coaching credentials include: 17 Olympians, 100+ international team appointments, 73 international medals and over 400 national and U Sports medals. His athletes have reached podiums at the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, World Championships, and Commonwealth Games. Beyond coaching, Peter’s influence as a builder has been equally transformative. As Sport Chair for the 1994 Commonwealth Games, he played a pivotal role in the creation and legacy of Saanich Commonwealth Place. His work on the High-Performance User Committee and Operating Agreement Review Board helped ensure that the venue continues to serve both community and high-performance needs. A respected figure in sport governance, Peter has contributed extensively to Swim BC, Swimming Canada, and the Canadian Swimming Coaches Association, where he has served for over 20 years on the Board of Directors. As a professor, lecturer, and Master Coach at the National Coaching Institute, he has mentored generations of coaches who now carry forward his influence across Canada and beyond.
Media Contact:
GVSHoF Media Contact
Maria Swann
Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame
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Sandy Peden |
Reg Underwood at bat |
Ranjit Dillon |
Rosemary Fuller winding up |
Roy Smith with unidentified girls and trophy |
