Jeffrey Reed Courage Award Bios | London Ontario Sports

In 2001, LondonOntarioSports.com publisher and editor Jeffrey Reed achieved the impossible. A disabled athlete with numerous skeletal deformities, and at age 39, Jeffrey pitched as a rookie for the London Majors of the semi-professional Intercounty Baseball League. In fact, during his entire lifetime, Jeffrey has beaten the odds, both as an athlete and as an internationally-recognized communications professional. You can read his life story to-date, Diamond Dream: Jeffrey Reed’s Inspirational Story of Hope & Determination here.

In late-2015, Jeffrey and his wife, Elizabeth, decided to recognize others who have achieved greatness, and concurrently to inspire countless others with his story and theirs by establishing the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award.

The Jeffrey Reed Courage Award encourages you to:

Dream Big & Never Stop Dreaming
Work With Mentors & Mentor Others
Learn From Failure
Give 100% At All Times
Never Quit

For more than a decade, one Southern Ontario athlete has been awarded the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award each year. LondonOntarioSports.com awarded these remarkable athletes with a commemorative plaque at an annual ceremony recognizing and celebrating his or her courage in sports and in life.

Here are the winners of the annual Jeffrey Reed Courage Award.

Chelsea Zavitz

2016 Jeffrey Reed Courage Award winner Chelsea Zavitz with Jeffrey Reed

The inaugural winner of the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award, Chelsea Zavitz of St. Thomas, Ont. has suffered multiple concussions, including a devastating head injury in 2014, and continues to live with lingering effects of those injuries. Whenever she hasn’t been able to compete as an athlete, Chelsea has coached and mentored young women in basketball, hockey and soccer. Today, she is an advocate for concussion awareness. A former Windsor Lancers soccer player, Chelsea will graduate with a Business diploma from Fanshawe College, and plans to return to Fanshawe to study in the Project Management program in 2019 and to play another year of OCAA soccer for the Falcons. In July 2018, she was named an OCAA All-Academic student athlete. Chelsea is also a member of the FC London women’s soccer squad. During the 2018 season, she tore her medial collateral ligament (MCL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in her right knee, and her right hamstring during a February 2018 indoor game with the Falcons. Yet she worked hard, returned to the pitch and continues to act as an outstanding ambassador for the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award.

Ali Vlasman

Jeffrey Reed with 2017 Jeffrey Reed Courage Award winner Ali Vlasman of the Fanshawe Falcons

Mount Elgin, Ont. native Ali Vlasman was named Fanshawe’s female athlete of the year for 2016-17, is was a two-sport star in Falcons soccer and basketball. In September 2018, Ali was named a CCAA National Scholar Award winner. Earlier that year, she became the Falcons’ all-time points leader on the basketball court. Considering the obstacles she faced, it’s no wonder Ali was the 2017 winner of the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award. She was forced to overcome personal tragedy following an automobile accident, poor grades and a learning disability. But through mentorship at Fanshawe College, she later excelled in the classroom, on the hardcourt and on the pitch. As a second-year soccer goalie at Fanshawe, she helped the Falcons finish 6-0 and recorded five shoutouts, allowing just one goal. During her rookie year as a goalie, the Falcons finished 9-0-1. She was also the Falcons’ female athlete of the year in 2017. When the going got tough, Vlasman never shied away from adversity, instead welcoming challenges while showing incredible leadership.

Danielle Austin

Danielle Austin with LondonOntarioSports.com’s Elizabeth Reed

Western University nursing student Danielle Austin of Parkhill, Ont. has always embraced athletics. At North Middlesex District High School, she participated in basketball, volleyball, badminton and track and field for the Marauders, and also played minor hockey and soccer. In fall 2015, Danielle entered her second year of Pre-Health Science studies at Fanshawe College full of optimism. A member of the Falcons women’s soccer team, 2014-15 rookie of the year and an OCAA All-Academic athlete, she was enjoying the best time of her life. But that all came to a screeching halt in late- 2015, when she was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease. After months of increasing her medication dose, and at the same time experiencing a decreased quality of life, her specialist recommended a different biologic medication. Danielle gained relief from the terrible disease in September 2016 through use of a new drug, but prior to its use, there was daily suffering for over a year. In June 2018, Danielle ran 63 KM from Grand Bend, Ont. to London, Ont. as part of her Kicking Some Guts One Step At A Time fundraiser for Chron’s awareness. She said she was inspired to make the run after learning about Jeffrey Reed’s own story of overcoming enormous odds. Still a competitive athlete, Danielle plans to help others with Chron’s once she graduates from Western. Like the previous Jeffrey Reed Courage Award winners, Danielle is an inspiration to us all.

Claire Linton

Jeffrey and Elizabeth Reed award Western Mustangs women’s softball captain Claire Linton with the 2019 Jeffrey Reed Courage Award.

Claire Linton, 21, of Brampton, Ont. is the first Western Mustangs varsity athlete to win the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award. From 2015-18, the Mustangs women’s softball team captured four conference, four provincial and one national championship. And according to head coach Pete Lemon, Linton was a huge part of those winning teams. In fact, Lemon said Linton and her incredible story of courage inspired the entire team to greatness, on and off the field. There have been plenty of challenges thrown at Linton during her four years at Western University. Yet through it all, she exemplified everything the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award stands for, and proved to be a worthy winner of the fourth-annual award. Working as a camp counsellor before what was to be her sophomore season, Linton suffered a serious injury which would change her life forever. A torn calf muscle not only prevented her from playing that season, but it also proved to be a catalyst in bringing out her best traits: never shying away from a challenge; always facing incredible odds with dignity and grace; working tirelessly to beat the odds; and at the same time, giving back to others. Instead of feeling defeated and shying away from the Mustangs softball team, Linton fully embraced the challenge, and concurrently further embedded herself within the softball program. She relied on crutches for four months, put in countless hours of physiotherapy at Fowler-Kennedy Sports Medicine Clinic and, with much-needed moral support from her coaches and teammates saw results that would eventually see her return to the playing field as a much-improved varsity athlete. During her rehabilitation, Linton never missed a game nor practice, and was part of every Mustangs women’s softball fundraiser. Most of all, she was an inspiration to her team and an involved member of the community. During her sophomore season on the bench, the Mustangs had repeated their accomplishments of the previous season – conference and provincial champions, and second-place finishers at nationals. In 2017 during Linton’s third year, they swept conference, provincials and nationals, and Linton was presented with the Mustang Award for exemplifying the ideal values of a Mustang student athlete. “Balancing varsity athletics and being a student who tries to achieve an honours specialization in medical sciences, as well as a minor in psychology, has been challenging. It has taken many long days of work and dedication. But over the past four years, I have achieved more than I could have asked for,” she said. This past season, Linton was named team captain and the squad’s starting first baseman. She impressed with a .424 batting average and stellar defence. Each of her four years with the Mustangs, Linton was named an Academic All Canadian for maintaining an above 80 average in the classroom while competing as a varsity athlete. “Western softball is not just about achievements on the field, but also it’s about giving back to our wonderful, supportive community,” Linton explained. “Through the fantastic efforts of our coach, Dr. Peter Lemon, we have the opportunity to give back to the community and to instil a love of sport in local youth.”
*Click here for CBC Radio interview with Claire Linton

Preston Swan-Merrison

Lucan Irish goalie and Monseigneur-Bruyè Catholic Secondary School student Preston Swan-Merrison, 17, is the 5th annual Jeffrey Reed Courage Award winner for 2020, and the first male athlete to win the award. Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 9, Preston is a former football and hockey player with the Jr. Mustangs, a Jr. Knights hockey graduate, and currently a goaltender with the Jr. C Lucan Irish and backup with the Jr. B Chatham Maroons. He is also a Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Youth Ambassador; one of 13 teens to receive the 2015 Ontario Junior Citizen of the Year award; a member of MP for London West Kate Young’s youth council; a two-time author raising awareness of Juvenile diabetes; and a fundraiser and champion for numerous causes including diabetes, epilepsy and homelessness. In addition to living with Type 1 diabetes, Preston has a learning disorder: Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), which affects up to five per cent of school-aged children. These students have difficulty processing the information they hear and are usually characterized as poor listeners when, in fact, their brains interpret sounds differently than those of others. “Diabetes has made me a stronger person,” said Preston, “and the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award is everything I believe in. I am someone who has learned from my many failures and challenges, and I have never stopped following my dreams, even when I felt like quitting was the only answer. Instead, I have been able to give back and find strength in others which, in return, has helped me in this journey we call life.” Preston’s life is only beginning, yet already he has accomplished what some do during their entire lives. There is certainly no quit in this fighter – a champion for Type 1 diabetes and so many other causes, and an outstanding athlete brave enough to stop pucks between the pipes.

Amanda Lynn Mayhew

Outdoorswoman Amanda Lynn Mayhew of Southgate, Ont. is best known for her TV show, That Hunting Girl, airing on Sportsman Channel Canada. Her efforts as an athlete, inspirational speaker, mentor, angler, powersports enthusiast, sport shooting advocate and hunter are even more impressive because she lives with numerous challenges, including asthma, Grave’s disease, Postherpetic Neuralgia, laryngopharyngeal reflux disease and irritable bowel disease. Recently, she was diagnosed with PTSD – post-traumatic stress disorder. Mayhew’s story speaks of an incredible journey of hope, determination and never giving up, no matter what the odds. She grew up in a trailer park in Manitouwadge, Ont., raised three boys as a single mother and continues to live with numerous ailments. Yet through her brand, Just Hunt Inc., she continues to encourage Canadians from coast to coast to learn about the outdoors and, in turn, learn a myriad of life’s lessons. Mayhew represents all that the Courage Award encourages, including dreaming big, working hard and never giving up hope while mentoring others along the way. Her mission statement, “To empower, educate and inspire individuals of all ages to find their place in the outdoors community by providing and sharing knowledge and experience of the outdoors,” clearly defines her self-defined role. Today, Just Hunt, Inc., is one of the most recognizable outdoors brands in Canada and incorporates Mayhew’s program, Trailblazing the Outdoors, inclusive to all individuals who want to become an outdoorsperson. She has supported numerous groups and not-for-profits, including Heart & Stroke, Ronald McDonald House Charities, The Hospital for Sick Children, Canadian Lung Association and Progeria Research Foundation.

Madison Wilson-Walker

Para athlete Madison Wilson-Walker is a well-decorated, multi-sport athlete and a bi-lateral amputee who competes on the world stage as a T62/F62 competitor – an athlete with bilateral below knee limb deficiency competing with prostheses where minimum impairment criteria for lower limb deficiency are met. At age 3, the Springfield, Ont. native contracted meningococcal, septicemia and gangrene and as a result had both legs amputated below the knees, four fingers amputated on her left hand and also went deaf in her left ear. Raised by her grandparents, Wilson-Walker was encouraged to live her life to the fullest degree, and that has meant competing in figure skating, horseback riding, swimming, golf, volleyball and track and field. A member of the Western Mustangs track and field team, and the London Western Track & Field Club, Wilson-Walker first competed in high school javelin, but today is an internationally-ranked long jumper and sprinter whose goals include competing for Canada at the 2023 World Championships and at the 2024 Paralympic Games, both slated for Paris, France. We all need heroes – especially today when the COVID-19 pandemic continues to alter our lives. Wilson-Walker is a hero to many. Despite her physical challenges, she lives by the phrase, Carpe Diem, on and off the playing field. Her athletic accomplishments alone are almost incomprehensible. Even when she has suffered numerous debilitating sports-related injuries and concurrently struggled with mental health issues, she has never given up hope. In fact, when she was not chosen for Team Canada competing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, she used that rejection as fuel to compete even harder. And all the while, she inspires others off the field, too, with inspirational and emotional public speaking. “I am so thankful for this award, which will assist me as I continue to train and compete to the best of my ability,” said Wilson-Walker. “I grew up with the words, ‘Never Say Can’t!’ I live those words every day. And I compete not only for myself, but also to show others that if you work hard each and every day, and believe in yourself, then great things will happen. I’m thankful that the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award will allow me to inspire others.”

Natasha Stasiuk

Natasha Stasiuk of Oakville, Ont. was born in Russia where she was left as an orphan in a run-down hospital. Sick and often unattended, she was slow to develop learning and language skills. Peter and Sandra Stasiuk adopted Natasha as an infant and brought her home to Canada, where soon afterwards she displayed above-average hand-eye coordination. Still, communicating, making friends and learning remained difficult chores for Stasiuk who often was wrongly judged as shy, angry and frustrated by some of her teachers, her hockey, soccer and softball teammates, and her golf partners during junior tournaments. In fact, it wasn’t until October 2021 when Stasiuk was properly diagnosed as living with autism, a life-long neurodevelopmental disorder which affects the way a person communicates and relates to people and the world around them. It can affect body language and posture, social interactions and relationships, how you engage with your interests, and sensory processing capacities. “My disabilities are invisible to many people,” explained Stasiuk, a member of ClubLink’s Heron Point Golf Links near Ancaster, Ontario. “Communicating, making friends and finding playing partners are difficult for me. I have an intellectual difference. But instead of seeing what people can’t do, we should all see what they can do!” A talented golfer carrying a 4.0 handicap index, Stasiuk has found what she calls her “happy place” on the golf course. She has won all four of Golf Ontario’s Ontario Disability Women’s Championship tournaments 2019-22, and both of Golf Canada’s Canadian All Abilities Women’s Championship tournaments 2021-22. In 2022, as the only Canadian female golfer competing at USGA’s inaugural U.S. Adaptive Open at Pinehurst No. 6, Stasiuk finished fifth despite competing in an unfamiliar setting where much media attention saw her uncomfortable on and off the golf course. In June 2023, Stasiuk travels with her teammates to Berlin, Germany to compete for Team Canada at the Special Olympics World Games. She’s studying in the Developmental Services Worker diploma program at Toronto’s Humber College while working towards a career in Disability Social Work. And she works part-time at Golf Town in Mississauga. Natasha has won the hearts of the Canadian golf community, thanks to her hard work and determination, her achievements – despite her disabilities – and her affectious personality. She personifies the five pillars of the Courage Award: Dream Big & Never Stop Dreaming; Work With Mentors & Mentor Others; Learn From Failure; Give 100% At All Times; and Never Quit.

Nick Heffernan

Londoner Nick Heffernan, a member of the Canadian men’s Para Soccer program, is the winner of the 9th annual Jeffrey Reed Courage Award. Heffernan, 25, is a fullback who has competed for Team Canada since his first appearance on the international pitch at the 2014 Americas Cup, hosted by the University of Toronto. As of early-2024, Heffernan has appeared in 46 international para soccer matches, including two IFCPF Americas Cup tournaments (2014, ’18), four IFCPF World Championships (2015, ’17, 19, ’22) and two Parapan American Games (2015, ’23). The former St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Secondary School and Fanshawe College student was born with Cerebral Palsy. Heffernan’s right hand and right leg are partially paralyzed. And in 2015, he was diagnosed with Epilepsy. Yet, Heffernan is a source of inspiration to all, thanks to his courage, his determination and his unselfish mentoring of others who struggle with physical and mental challenges. When he’s not competing on the soccer field, he’s working with local youth, in particular young athletes ages 4-18 through the All-For-One Abilities Soccer program at Thames Valley Children’s Centre. With partners FC London Soccer Club, and London TFC Academy, Heffernan was instrumental in helping to establish this program in London in 2022. Heffernan epitomizes what the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award is all about: inspiring others with courage, on and off the playing field. Since age 4, and despite his physical challenges, Heffernan has worked tirelessly at becoming an accomplished athlete. He has played soccer, football and basketball, and ran track and cross country. After attending his first camp with the national men’s para soccer team at age 14, he returned to London and soon afterwards enlisted the help of a fitness trainer – that showed incredible maturity and dedication to not only honing his soccer skills, but also to his goal of representing Canada on the international pitch. With his diagnosis of Epilepsy at age 15, Heffernan was handed yet another major challenge. Yet, instead of retreating he marched on with his unparalleled determination to excel at athletics, while mentoring others who live with their own physical and mental challenges. Said Heffernan, “My ability to overcome numerous obstacles, and to live the best life I can live while doing the things I love, is what defines me. When I read about all that Jeffrey Reed has accomplished despite his challenges, and all of the accomplishments of previous Jeffrey Reed Courage Award winners, it is an honour to receive this award and to be able to inspire others through the award.”

Chris Lauzon

Special Olympics golf and floor hockey champion Chris Lauzon of London is the winner of the 10th annual Jeffrey Reed Courage Award for 2025. Lauzon, 40, lives with an intellectual disability and has competed in floor hockey and golf with Special Olympics Ontario – London for more than 20 years. In late-October 2024 he won the Gold medal at the Special Olympics North America golf championship in Wichita, Kansas where he erased a four-stroke deficit heading into the final round to shoot a 9-hole score of 62 and claim a five-shot victory. And in early-March 2024, Lauzon and his teammates with the London Blazers – representing Ontario at the Special Olympics – Canada Winter Games in Calgary – won Gold in floor hockey. Despite the fact he is a Canadian and North American sports champion, Lauzon really shines off the playing field. On both stages, he never allows his intellectual disability to define him. Throughout his life, he has faced adversity – first, as a youngster, leaving his home in Saskatoon with his mother after she endured an abusive relationship, then in 2006 learning that his stepfather was killed by a drunk driver on Christmas eve. Yet his infectious smile and laugh, bubbly personality, compassion for others and strong leadership skills are recognized by all, including his wife, Stacey, and their daughter, Khloe, 12, who lives with learning needs and plays floor hockey with George Bray Sports Association. A leader and mentor, Lauzon is a valued employee at Idlewyld Inn & Spa. He also established the Guardians and Gladiators podcast, a Special Olympics-based show he co-hosts with his floor hockey coach and golf coach/caddy Todd DeSilva, local Special Olympics public relations director and Chris’s support worker. “Chris does not know the word, ‘No.’ He’s very driven and always wants to be the best he can be, no matter what he is doing,” said DeSilva. “He loves talking with people. He’s a leader and he knows what he wants to accomplish in life. He’s an inspiration to everyone.” Rick Walker, who has been involved with Special Olympics Ontario – London and George Bray Sports Association for more than 30 years, has been a friend of Lauzon’s for 25 years. He called him “very competitive – a mover and a shaker. Chris found something with Special Olympics – it’s his social network, and his home, a place where he can inspire others. He isn’t held back by anything.” Lauzon said, “I like the mission of the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award, and I look forward to being a Courage Award ambassador. What Jeff did with the London Majors and golf is amazing! I love competing with Special Olympics – my teammates and coaches are a band of brothers. I just hope I can continue to inspire others.”

Bryce Burridge

One of the most accomplished local junior golfers in recent memory, Bryce Burridge has faced much adversity en route to the winner’s podium. In September 2023, his mother, Dawn Marie, died of cancer at age 53. Bryce suffered a debilitating injury in 2024 when he broke his collarbone playing hockey. And he has taken the initiative to work with a tutor and the TVRA guidance department to achieve his ultimate high school grades as he has struggled in reading and writing classes. Despite his challenges, Bryce has kept his eye on the prize, winning numerous golf tournaments in Canada and the U.S. while making local golf history. A Grade 10 student at London’s Saunders Secondary School, Bryce became the first Grade 9 TVRA student athlete to win the boys’ golf championship in 2024. He captured back-to-back titles in 2025. Sporting a +4.1 handicap index, he captured the 2025 Ontario Boys U15 golf championship in a playoff, and won the ‘25 WOSSAA boys’ golf championship while helping the Sabres capture the team title. Also in ’25, he finished T7 at OFSAA, T26 at the Canadian U15 Boys championship and second at the Florida-hosted U.S. Kids Golf PGA Golf Club Invitational. Bryce may be the youngest Heart Award winner, but he has the heart of a lion and an incredible story which will now inspire a larger audience. Despite his reading and writing challenges, Bryce is now excelling in the classroom and, working with mentors, has already accomplished amazing feats on and off the golf course. He fights ferociously with the heart of a champion, while letting his grades – and his golf clubs – do the talking. Indeed, his future looks very bright as he now helps promote the Jeffrey Reed Courage Award.