Ossie Chavarria
Osvaldo 'Ossie' Chavarria went
from winning the best utility player for the AAA Pacific
Coast League Vancouver Mounties to umpiring the bronze-medal
match at the Barcelona Olympics. The longtime Burnaby
resident played minor ball from 1959 into the '70s before
taking up coaching at the minor and national team levels.
Chavarria started umpiring in 1979 and continued to find
time behind the plate in the NAIA league, at national-level
championships and in the Summer Games. Chavarria umpired
internationally at the Olympics, world championships, Pan Am
Games and Intercontinental
Cup.
James Johnson
James Johnson is a Karate B.C.
past president and World Karate Federation executive
committee member. Johnson represented Canada in three world
championships and was the first person to win four national
senior men's open titles, including one in 1983 when he was
39 years old. He is a nationally carded referee and played a
key role in women's inclusion in kumite, or sparring.
Johnson was inducted into the National Karate Association
Hall of Fame in 1991 and was first honoured for his
outstanding contribution to the sport in Canada in '88. He
founded the Burnaby Karate Club at Cameron centre in 1981
and has been its chief instructor since
Tom Mukai
Tom Mukai,
Burnaby's outstanding citizen in 1997, founded the Burnaby
Judo Club at the Bonsor rec centre in 1966. A 7th Dan black
belt and Judo Canada life member, Mukai has produced over 60
black belts during his more than 35 years in Burnaby,
including numerous junior and senior national and
international champions. He was the first fighter from B.C.
to compete at the judo nationals and later was Team B.C.'s
first coach in 1970. Mukai mentored the Canadian men's and
women's team internationally in the 1980's and '90s
respectively. Mukai is also a certified international
referee and has officiated at the Junior Pan Am Games and
the U.S. Open..
