New Richmond Kajaks scholarship will honour longtime coaches Kim Young and Carl Savage

Kajaks Track and Field is planning a new scholarship to mark its 65th anniversary and honour Kim Young and Carl Savage, two longtime national coaches who volunteered with the Richmond club for more than 50 years.

The Achilles International Track and Field Society is fundraising for the Young and Savage Kajaks Scholarship. Ken Poskitt, the society’s chair, said the aim is to offer a $2,500 annual scholarship at both UBC and SFU by September 2027, although final details are still being worked out. The fundraising target is $65,000.

The annual award would go to a male or female varsity track athlete who has demonstrated a commitment to community health and well-being through volunteer work or efforts to improve the community. Poskitt said each individual donation will be matched by Achilles, with the universities collectively doubling the total, making donations four times their original value.

Young and Savage served as national coaches for Canadian Olympic and international teams and as board members of Athletics Canada and BC Athletics. They were teachers and later principals in the Richmond School District; Savage later worked in South Delta. Both are recognized in the BC Sports Hall of Fame, and Young, who died in 2023, was known for his detailed involvement in the Harry Jerome International Track Classic.

The pair co-founded the BC Elementary Track and Field championships in 1968 to give athletes opportunities beyond their school boundaries. Poskitt said their legacy reflects a commitment to transforming lives, rather than simply producing champions.