(RICHMOND, B.C.) – Wheelchair Basketball Canada (WBC) celebrated excellence across the sport on Saturday in Richmond, B.C., announcing award winners and welcoming four new inductees into the WBC Hall of Fame during the 2026 National Championships.
Junior Athlete of the Year honours went to Elise Froese, while Élodie Tessier earned Female Athlete of the Year recognition and Garrett Ostepchuk was named Male Athlete of the Year.
The Wheelchair Basketball Canada Hall of Fame also welcomed four new inductees: athletes Jaimie Borisoff and Jennifer Krempien, official Dean MacKinnon, and the 2025 IWBF 3×3 Open World Championship Teams in the team category.
“Congratulations to this year’s award recipients for their incredible accomplishments and continued commitment to advancing wheelchair basketball across Canada,” said WBC CEO Wendy Gittens. “We are also proud to welcome Jaimie Borisoff, Jennifer Krempien, Dean MacKinnon and our 2025 IWBF 3×3 Open World Championship Teams into the Hall of Fame. Each inductee has made a remarkable impact on our sport, and this recognition reflects the legacy they have built through their excellence, leadership and dedication both on and off the court.”
Keep reading to learn more about the 2025 Awards and Hall of Fame class.
Junior Athlete of the Year – Elise Froese
Our Junior Athlete of the Year, Elise Froese, delivered an exceptional season highlighted by success at both the national and international levels.
Froese represented Canada’s Women’s NextGen Team at the Osaka Cup before returning home to capture gold with the BC Junior Grizzlies at Junior West, where she earned tournament all-star honours. She also helped Team BC secure a silver medal in the women’s division at Nationals at Durham College, once again being recognized as a tournament all-star for her standout performances.
On the international stage, Froese made her Senior Women’s National Team debut at the IWBF Americas Cup, averaging 9.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while helping Canada earn a bronze medal. She was also selected as Team Canada’s flag bearer at the Youth Parapan American Games, where she helped lead Canada’s women’s 3×3 team to a gold medal performance.
Away from competition, Froese continues to excel as a student-athlete at the University of Arizona, where she competes in wheelchair basketball while pursuing studies in religion.
Female Athlete of the Year – Élodie Tessier
Élodie Tessier assembled an outstanding season, excelling at both the domestic and international levels while continuing to thrive academically and athletically off the court.
At the club level, Tessier helped lead the Gladiateurs de Laval to a strong fourth-place finish at the CWBL Finals in Montreal. She continued her impressive play at Nationals, recording 10 points, six assists, and five rebounds in the gold medal game to help Team Quebec capture the women’s national title.
Internationally, Tessier was part of a historic moment for Canadian wheelchair basketball, helping Canada’s women’s 3×3 team win gold at the inaugural IWBF 3×3 Open World Championships. She carried that momentum into the 5-on-5 game at the IWBF Americas Cup, averaging 10 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game as a key contributor to Canada’s bronze medal performance.
Away from competition, Tessier completed her Master of Science in Economics and Data Analytics at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she also competed with the Lady Movin’ Mavs wheelchair basketball program.
Male Athlete of the Year – Garrett Ostepchuk
Garrett Ostepchuk delivered an outstanding season, highlighted by success at both the national and international levels.
Domestically, Ostepchuk earned tournament all-star honours at both the 2025 CWBL Finals and the 2025 Wheelchair Basketball Canada National Championships, where he helped Saskatchewan finish fourth.
On the international stage, Ostepchuk played a key role in helping Canada capture gold at the inaugural IWBF 3×3 Open World Championships, contributing to a historic result. He also represented Canada on the Senior Men’s National Team at the IWBF Americas Cup.
In the fall, Ostepchuk took his game overseas and joined RB Zwickau in Germany.
Hall of Fame: Jaimie Borisoff
A two-time gold medallist (Sydney 2000, Athens 2004) and a silver medallist (Beijing 2008), Borisoff was a key member of the Senior Men’s National Team at four Paralympic Games. He helped Canada capture World Championship gold in 2006 (Amsterdam) and two world bronze medals (Sydney 1998, Kitakyushu 2002) and earned a spot on the World All-Star Five at the 1998 World Championships. Domestically, he dominated the national scene with Team BC winning eight Canadian titles, 11 Nationals All-Star selections and five CWBL championships with Douglas College, along with an NWBA Division 1 title with the BC Cable Cars. Known for his immediate impact, Borisoff logged the most minutes for Canada at his first Paralympic Games (Atlanta 1996) and remained a key member of the program throughout his career. For his accomplishments with the National Team, Borisoff was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.
Hall of Fame: Jennifer Krempien
Krempien competed at an elite level for 16 years, earning three Paralympic gold medals (Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000), one bronze (Athens 2004) and four World Championship titles (Stoke Mandeville 1994, Sydney 1998, Kitakyushu 2002, Amsterdam 2006) and was widely regarded as one of the best Class 1.0 players in the world. Known for her work ethic, composure, and team-first mindset, she led by example and brought out the best in those around her. Teammates highlight Krempien’s consistency, leadership, and unwavering support—both on and off the court—as key factors in Team Canada’s sustained success. In 2013, Krempien was inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame for her accomplishments at the Paralympic Games.
Hall of Fame: Dean MacKinnon
MacKinnon has dedicated decades to both stand-up and wheelchair basketball, building an extraordinary officiating career. Beginning as a high school graduate recommended to the Vancouver and District Basketball Officials Association, he quickly rose through the ranks—officiating provincial championships, Canada Games gold-medal finals, university playoffs and national tournaments. He became a foundational figure in wheelchair basketball officiating in B.C. in the 1970s, earning international certification and working major events across Canada and the U.S. As Head Allocator in B.C., he has been instrumental in recruiting, mentoring and developing new officials for generations. His leadership has extended to board roles with BC Wheelchair Sports and the Vancouver and District Basketball Officials Association, and his contributions have been recognized through multiple “Official of the Year” honours and the national J.A. “Wink” Willox Award.
Hall of Fame: 2025 IWBF 3×3 Open World Championship Teams
Canada’s Men’s and Women’s 3×3 Teams won gold at the inaugural IWBF 3×3 Open World Championships in Sun City, South Africa, with both squads defeating Spain in their respective finals. The women completed an undefeated run, led by tournament MVP Kady Dandeneau and All-Star Élodie Tessier, while the men rallied past Spain, led by MVP Colin Higgins. The victories mark a historic moment for Canada in the first-ever 3×3 wheelchair basketball world championship, building on the teams’ previous success at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
For a complete list of previous Hall of Fame inductees, visit wheelchairbasketball.ca.