It was second time lucky for Douglas College grad RuiLin Huang at the Sport B.C. athlete of the year banquet on Wednesday.
The 24-year-old five-time college athlete of the year was named the Sport B.C. college athlete of the year award winner at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver on Wednesday.
Huang, who posted a remarkable 207-1 career record in college badminton, beat out two-time PacWest women’s soccer league MVP Alanna Bekkering and PacWest female athlete of the year Kayla Bruce, the University of the Fraser Valley volleyball star who was also a runner-up for the collegiate award last year.
Huang was also nominated for Sport B.C.’s top college athlete award in 2012.
“I was so surprised. Last time, I had so many doubts. I didn’t win it,” said Huang, following her receiving the award on Wednesday.
The Mainland China native won an unprecedented five consecutive Canadian Colleges’ association national women’s singles titles from 2008 to ’13.
The perennial All-Canadian was also chosen CCAA female badminton athlete of the year in four of the five years.
In 2012, she was also named the CCAA athlete of the year across all sports.
“It’s a good accomplishment for all the hard work and all the people who helped me,” Huang said. “Without them, I wouldn’t even have been nominated for this award.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Huang was the choice of Douglas College as its female athlete of the year in all five years she attended the New Westminster campus.
While receiving the award for top college athlete in the province, Huang became emotional on stage.
“I don’t know why,” she added. “I never speak English in front of so many people.”
After graduating from Douglas with a degree in accounting, Huang is ready to start on a new path.
“I’m going to have a new life, start work and keep coaching and play some games sometimes, but not so much anymore,” Huang said.
Huang honed her badminton skills at China’s Provincial Sport Institute in Hunan Province for 17 years before coming to Canada’s West Coast to study.
“When I tell (my parents) they will be very happy and proud of me. I think they would be so happy and tell everyone.
“I won a provincial award in China, too, and they were so happy. It was presented by the government in 2005, when I was 15-years-old.”
Huang shared the spotlight with another athlete from Burnaby.
Wrestler Stacie Anaka, ranked No. 2 in the world in her weight class, won the female senior athlete of the year award.
Anaka, a Simon Fraser University grad, earned a silver medal at the 2013 senior world championships and a gold at the Pan Am Games.
As well, several local volunteers were honoured with Presidents’ awards prior to the dinner.
Gary Steeves of New Westminster was named by the B.C. Blind Sports and Recreation Association.
Burnaby’s Alexander Rosemann and Burnaby Central Secondary instructor Gianni Buono were similarly honoured for their work with B.C. Table Tennis and wrestling.
