Photo: Matt Holmes of BDO Canada presents the Marketing and Promotion award to Leslie Dalliday and Kathryn Verhulst-Rogers of The Athletics Centre. CLIFFORD SKARSTEDT/PETERBOROUGH EXAMINER/QMI AGENCY

The Athletics Centre at Trent received double honours at the 2012 Peterborough Business Excellence Awards, hosted by the Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, October 17, winning both the Health & Wellness and the Marketing & Promotion awards.

The annual Peterborough Business Excellence Awards publicly recognize and honour local businesses who have demonstrated a passion for excellence.  This year, 51 finalists and 17 winners were honoured across 17 categories.

“It was an honour to be recognized amongst our peers in the business community.  To win in each of the two categories was an absolute thrill.  I am so proud of our entire staff team for the dedication and passion they have demonstrated since the renewed Athletics Centre opened in September 2010,” said Leslie Dalliday, assistant director of Athletics, who attended the event and accepted the awards on behalf of the Athletics Centre. “Winning the Health & Wellness Award is wonderful recognition of the outstanding work that our staff does each day to make the AC the unique and outstanding facility that it is.  We are also very proud of our marketing campaign -- the Indoor Gym for People who Love the Outdoors.  Kathryn Verhulst-Rogers, Marketing & Communications Coordinator (Athletics) has done an exceptional job in leading this campaign to develop creative and innovative material that has put us on the map and distinguished us in our community.”

The two categories in which the Trent Athletics Centre received top honours were:

Health & Wellness

In recognition of a business in the health and wellness sector, that promotes wellness and vitality in our community and demonstrates recognition of the importance of educating and inspiring individuals in the community at large, to achieve optimal health.

The Athletics Centre was recognized for offering an unparalleled indoor and outdoor sport and recreation experience for all of its members. The AC’s innovative and unique recreation facilities (indoor climbing wall, rowing/paddling tank, and more), combine with a variety of dynamic community programs to offer members much more than the typical gym or fitness centre.

Marketing and Promotion

Nominations came from a business, in-house designer, or a Marketing, Design or Communications Company who has created a multi-media, marketing, or design campaign, that has been outstanding, innovative and noticeable, raising awareness and increasing business for its client, or itself, within the last year, and has community involvement.

The Athletics Centre was recognized for the Indoor Gym for People Who Love the Outdoors marketing campaign, which was created in partnership with BrandHealth. This successful campaign embodies everything that makes the AC unique amongst its competitors and has helped spread the word about the outstanding fitness facilities and programs at Trent across the region.

For more information about the Athletics Centre at Trent, visit www.trentu.ca/athletics or call (705) 748-1257. Community memberships are available.