2010 SPIRIT OF THE GAME AWARD
Mila Oh NOMINATED BY: AUM
WRITE-UP OF MILA BY CHRISTIANE MARCEAU I wish that this were an easier question
to answer about Mila. I say this because, very sadly Mila’s relevant accomplishments in 2010 were cut short on May 26th of this year, when she died after long and courageous battle against breast cancer. Mila’s fight against cancer was
inspirational, as was her commitment to the Spirit of the Game. In fact, this was a commitment she maintained right until the end. Mila played Ultimate throughout her illness. She even played in the 2010 Winter indoor Ultimate league of the AUM. Actually, to be honest, she did far more than just play. In co-captaining a Development team, Mila seemed to revel not only in teaching the skills and strategies involved in playing Ultimate, but in moulding new players to play with and fully appreciate the Spirit of the Game. All of those players who had that last opportunity to learn about spirit from Mila should count themselves incredibly lucky! There is absolutely no one who could live
spirit of the game like Mila. Throughout her treatments, surgeries
and recovery processes, Mila never stopped coaching and encouraging her fellow teammates and new players. She never stopped PLAYING whenever she could. Even after her death, Mila’s accomplishments with respect to the spirit of the game continued. In recognition of her spirit of the game and her ability to raise the spirit of any team with whom she played, at this year’s Annual Gala of the Association Ultimate Montréal, the spirit award honouring the team with the highest spirit rating in the league was officially renamed the Mila Oh Spirit Award. The dedication of the award in her honour was decided based on a unanimous vote of the AUM’S Board of Directors earlier in the year. It is clear that no player had ever or would ever epitomize spirit of the game as did
Ultimate Canada Magazine —
www.canadianultimate.com
Mila. Having her memory live on through the award is a testament to this fact.
QUOTES
“I have played in leagues in four countries, and attended tournaments in many more than that. In all my years of playing I have NEVER encountered a player who so personifies the spirit of the game of Ultimate as Mila did, and continues via her example, memory and many, many active players who she touched. For those of us who had the pleasure of knowing Mila via the game of Ultimate, Mila is the spirit of the game, and always will be.” –Eric Lewis
“I have played Ultimate with Mila on
various teams and different contexts, from fun league to competitive tournaments and even with Mila as coach. She always displayed the perfect balance between competitiveness and fair, fun play.” – Cheryl Catterall
LETTER FROM MILA OH “Ultimate is a very special sport. Unlike
many other sports, Ultimate promotes a community of athletes who interact in a positive way with members of other teams, who can put down the disc at the end of a hard fought game but then go on to have a good laugh or fun game with their opponents. Unlike at other sports tournaments where you just go and hang out with your own team members, Ultimate players party together and play together throughout the entire weekend. There is a real sense of community that does not exist in other sports. I hope that my jokes, my slags, and my sense of fun help promote this unique aspect of our sport.” “I think I will be remembered for my sense of humour, my sense of fun, and my pure love of the game. I want to play good disc, I want the game to be competitive, but I also want to have fun.”
Mila Oh
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