We head into the final weekend of 2012 and naturally, there is a tendency to look back on the year almost gone by.
For two decades in this space when we arrive at this time of the year, we qualify our sporting selections with the simple advisory that the highlight or highlights we choose truly depend on your perspective.
The Year 2012 is among the greatest examples of that.
For my vote for local sporting moment of the year, I’d go with Josh Cassidy and his victory in the Boston Marathon Wheelchair race.
What made Cassidy’s athletic performance even more remarkable is that less than a week after winning at Boston, he competed in another wheelchair marathon in England.
Of course later in 2012, Cassidy, who is a native of Burgoyne and a Bluewater Athletic Association record holder from his days at St Mary’s High School, competed for Canada at the Paralympic games.
Which brings us to perspective.
For many in the region, the local sporting highlight of 2012 was Jason Crone and a silver medal in wheelchair rugby at the Paralympic Games.
Or maybe Dan Seymour of Port Elgin partnering to win a Canadian Ice Dance Championship.
Perhaps, it’s Grey Motors United winning the York Region Soccer League’s Premier Division title, the Owen Cresent Club Attack winning the OHF Midget title or Adam Jones being named as the National Lacrosse League’s rookie of the year.
Perspective is everything when assessing local sports in the year gone by.
Here’s to a diverse list of highlights come 2013.
Happy New Year.
I’m Fred Wallace