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Peterborough’s sporting variety is reflected in the 2022 Peterborough and District Sports Hall of Fame inductees.
Golf, hockey, lacrosse, fastball, swimming and windsurfing were the sports in which Vicki Appleton, Don Dunford, Rob Fitzgerald, Mike Gadd, Kalen Ingram and Wendy Lamers-Fitzpatrick excelled.
They were introduced at a press conference at the Hall on Thursday evening. They will be officially consecrated during a ceremony at the hall on June 10.
Vicki Appleton, athlete
At 15, Appleton was the Peterborough Golf & Country Club champion in 1998. She represented the PGCC five times at the Peterborough City and District Tournament. She received the prestigious Marlene Stewart Streit Award in 1990. Vicki entered the provincial game and in 1991 was a member of the Ontario Junior Golf Team; was the second ranked junior golfer in Ontario and 6th in Canada in 1992; member of the Ontario amateur team in 1997 and 1998 and Ontario match play champion in 1997. She received a full golf scholarship to Illinois State University from 1992 to 1996, winning three NCAA Division I and finishing in the top 10 in many others. The Illinois State University team was the Missouri Valley Conference champion in 1993.
As a professional, she qualified as a rookie for the LPGA Women’s Canadian Open. She participated in the Canadian Women’s Open in 1999, 2002 and 2004. In 2004, she was champion of the BMO Financial Group Canadian Tour.
“I’m really grateful to have grown up here and to have been part of the Peterborough Golf and Country Club,” said Appleton. “There are so many people to thank who have helped me over the years.”
Donald ‘Duke’ Dunford, builder
Dunford has spent his life coaching and supporting hockey in Peterborough and area. A good hockey player himself, he was a member of Peterborough’s OMHA champion midget all-star team in 1959-60 and the all-star youth team from 1960-62. He played junior at Cobourg from 1962-64; Men’s Kawartha Commercial Hockey League from 1964 to 1977 and veterans hockey from 1979 to 1993 with Robert Young Construction, two-time Canadian “A” champions.
He coached the Millbrook Bantams to the OMHA “D” title in 1990-91 and the Millbrook Juveniles in 1995-96. He started Millbrook Oldtimers Hockey in 1977 and was named Millbrook & District Sportsman of the Year in 1979.
Dunford was assistant coach of the Peterborough Trentway Wagar Junior A team from 1992 to 1995. From 1996 to 2002 he was head coach of the Sir Sandford Fleming College Varsity men’s hockey team. During his tenure, Fleming won OCAA bronze in 1996 and OCAA silver in 1997, 1998, 1999 and silver at the Canadian Colleges Athletic Association Championships in 2001. He has was named OCAA Coach of the Year in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001 and was CCAA Coach of the Year Finalist in 2001. He was inducted into the OCAA Hall of Fame in 2003 and was the recipient of the 2010 Ontario Province Celebration “Sports Hero Award”.
Dunford has been integral to the success of Lakefield Chief’s Junior C hockey program. From 2008 to
Currently, he has taken on many roles with the team – head coach, board of directors, president and director of hockey operations, winning the Ontario Junior “C” Cup championships Schmalz 2014 and 2018. In 2017 he received the OHA Junior ‘C’ Harold (Kit) Carson Player Dedication & Commitment Award.
“It’s quite an honor,” Dunford said. “I used to come here for coffee with Jack Gibson and Neil Thompson and a few of the guys. I met my buddy Billy Armor here not too long ago who I played with in hockey. You’re here with some pretty elite people.
Rob Fitzgerald, athlete
Fitzgerald won a provincial high school lacrosse championship with St. Peter’s. In 2003 Rob was a member of the OLA Senior B Ennismore Shamrocks. In fastball, Rob represented Peterborough as a youth before entering the Peterborough Men’s City Fastball League aged 15. During his career, he was named Golden Glover at shortstop and won 3 City League titles. In 2003, his Peterborough team won a silver medal at the OASA Intermediate Provincial Championships and followed that up with a gold medal at the Intermediate Provincial Championships in 2004.
As a rookie at age 16, he was team and league rookie of the year for the Peterborough Jr. B hockey team and was most valuable player in rookie and all-star games. of the league. In 2006, he was inducted into the ring of honor for Peterborough Jr. B. In 1995, Rob was drafted by Owen Sound, 25th overall in the OHL Draft. That season, he won the team’s Rookie of the Year award. In 153 regular season games in the OHL with Owen Sound and the Belleville Bulls, he had 103 points. He pursued a minor professional career with Fort Worth, Flint and Port Huron.
“I know a lot of people who are here and I’ve seen a lot of them playing different sports as kids,” Fitzgerald said. “Some of them have coached me along the way. It’s a huge honor. I thank my parents, my coaches and my teammates so much over the years. Without them, this wouldn’t have happened.”
Mike Gadd, athlete
Gadd was a multiple-time Canadian windsurfing champion who rose to No. 9 in the world. He was the overall Canadian champion in the windsurfing class in 79 and 80; the Olympic journey of Canadian windsurfing champion in 1981, Canadian open windsurfing class champion in 1982; bronze medalist at the World Masters Games in Toronto in 1985 and Canadian Masters Champion in 1986. Mike is considered a pioneer of the sport in Canada. With John Boothryod and Ann Durrell he wrote two books “The Book of Windsurfing – A Guide to Board Sailing Techniques” in 1981 and “The Book of Windsurfing – A Guide to Free Sailing Techniques” in 1988.
Gadd, who lives in Whistler, British Columbia, did not attend Thursday’s event.
Kalen Ingram, athlete
Ingram was Peterborough’s Junior Female Athlete of the Year in 1996 and Senior Female Athlete of the Year in 1998. She was a very good golfer and a former winner of the PG&CC Junior Women’s Championship. She played shortstop for the Peterborough Arborough Games team for three years and played representational soccer (outdoor and indoor) for over 8 years on a team that was consistently among the best in Ontario for his age group, serving as captain at the 1995 Ontario Summer Games.
She played varsity soccer for five years at Lakefield College School, captaining the team to multiple ISAA championships. In field hockey, Kalen played for the Ontario provincial team for four years. At 17, she was selected to the provincial U21 team that won a silver medal at the Canada Summer Games. She was captain of the provincial U18 field hockey team and was selected to the tournament all-star team at the 1998 National Championships. She played four years of varsity field hockey in high school, winning 3 ISAA titles , an OFSAA silver medal and a CISAA national silver medal.
Ingram attended Harvard University where she played field hockey and Division 1 ice hockey. In field hockey, she was a 2nd team All-Ivy selection as a rookie. In ice hockey, she won numerous individual and team accolades. As a freshman, she was the team’s MIP and was selected to the ECAC All-Rookie Team. As a junior, she was named her team’s MVP, was the first All-Ivy team selection, and was nominated for the Patty Kazmaier Award as the nation’s top player. She captained the team as a senior, a year in which Harvard won an Ivy League and ECAC championship and came close to winning a national championship. She received her team’s leadership and citizenship award during that senior season and finished in the top 10 in career scoring for Harvard.
“This community means a lot to me and I’m very proud to always say I’m from Peterborough. To be recognized in a community hall of fame like this with all these inductees is an incredible honor,” Ingram said.
Wendy (Lamers) Fitzpatrick, Athlete
As a member of the Peterborough YMCA and the Trent Swim Club from 1976 to 1988, Lamers established herself as an elite swimmer. For many years she held the Trent Swim Club records in the 50, 100, 200, 400 freestyle and 200 IM.
She was a silver medalist at the Canadian Swimming Championships in 1984; a consolation finalist at the 1984 Olympic trials; ranked 13th in the world in the 50 m freestyle in 1985; and competed in the 1988 Olympic Trials. While attending the University of Guelph, Wendy competed in Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union competition in 1986, 89, 90 and 1991. She was a bronze medalist in the 100m breaststroke at the 1991 CIAU Championships and was named CIAU Athlete of the Week in February 1986 and February 1991. She was an OWIAA silver medalist in 1986 in the 100 m breaststroke; Gold medalist in 1991 in the 50m breaststroke and 100m breaststroke, and silver medalist in the 50m freestyle. Wendy was named the Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate Athletic Association Conference All Star in 1986, 89, 90 and 1991 and held the OWIAA record in 1986 in the 50m breaststroke. She was named 1986 Dr. Mary Beverly Burton Rookie of the Year; University of Guelph Most Outstanding Swimmer in 1991; 1991 WF Mitchell Sportswoman of the Year; University of Guelph Female Athlete of the Year in 1990 and 1991 and was inducted into the University of Guelph Hall of Fame in 1998.
“I come from a family of great athletes,” Lamers-Fitzpatrick said. “Both my parents are very athletic. The people who support us here today noticed a talent when I was young and encouraged my parents to take me up in swimming and that’s how it all started. I am so grateful to be recognized.