Cochrane Ozzie Sawicki and his company Coachability have been recognized with a 2023 Business Award of Distinction for diversity and inclusion by the Alberta Chamber of Commerce.

Sawicki says he's humbled to receive the honour and views it as something resulting from the work of many.

"When you stop and reflect on it, there's a lot of pride in the realization that people are taking notice of things that are being done," says Sawicki. "It's interesting. I don't look at it as being for Coachability alone. It's a community of people who are making this happen."

In addition, it provides validation of the work being done here in Cochrane with the creation of the Canadian Para Snowsport Training Centre last year as well as the work of the Canadian Adaptive Snowsports Alberta.

Based out of the SLS Centre, it initially worked with elite international para-alpine skiers and has plans that would make Cochrane a hub for multiple sporting disciplines.

"I think that's what I take to heart is the validation to keep plugging along and keep doing everything I'm doing with Coachability, with the ski program, and with other things I do in the community. It motivates you to want to keep going."

para athletesSome of the international elite athletes with some of their coaches at the Canadian Para Snowsport Training Centre in January.

"We created a competitive program that started as a development idea and it evolved into something much bigger where we ended up working with a lot of international athletes that became training opportunities for them to come to Cochrane and base themselves here. So it literally turned into an international training hub overnight. A lot of the recognition of this award is really supporting accessibility and creating opportunities for accessibility."

Along the way, we would become an exceptionally accessible community, which is the bottom line for Sawicki.

It includes the pursuit of building 20 wheelchair-accessible condominium units, ideally in the new Greystone community adjacent to the SLS Centre.

Besides providing quality training, it would have a positive economic impact, potentially making Cochrane a key partner in future world cups and even Alberta's 2030 Commonwealth Games bid. It also would offer the opportunity to further expand our tourism sector. 

Pointing to just one example, he speaks of how the Cochrane Curling Centre has the potential to host major wheelchair curling events.

"And then the other thing that we've done is we've established key partnerships. The Canadian Sport Institute Calgary is now a partner with us, so we can start looking at how we partner with Winsport and create larger event opportunities here. I think we could become a very useful Paralympic tool in the system."

For further insight on the fascinating work underway to further expand upon the Canadian Para Snowsport Training Centre and how it will make Cochrane an exceptionally accessible community, listen to the attached full interview with Sawicki.

Sawicki says he was aware that he had been nominated but was surprised when he was named one of the three finalists for one of the awards.

"To be recognized in a province where within the Chamber of Commerce community, there are about 26,000 chamber businesses to be recognized as one of 13 is humbling."

Earlier this spring, Sawicki received an Alberta Sport Recognition Award for being the coach developer of the year.

For the past 32 years, ACC has honoured over 315 award recipients and more than one thousand finalists.

"These awards are a celebration of the remarkable accomplishments of our province's business leaders. We applaud their hard work, resilience, and their ongoing efforts to make Alberta a thriving and prosperous place to live and work," states ACC president and CEO Shauna Feth

"Your outstanding achievements truly embody the spirit of excellence and leadership in Alberta's business community."

Last May, the Cochrane and District Chamber of Commerce was named the best of its size by the Alberta Chamber of Commerce.