Veteran Maritime racing official Gerard Smith accepted quite the honour this past Friday (Nov. 9), as he was inducted into the P.E.I. Sports Hall of Fame during the hall’s annual induction dinner, which took place at the Credit Union Place in Summerside.

Smith, the well-known and dedicated Maritime race secretary, has had a long career as a player and coach in many sports on P.E.I., including hockey and baseball.

Smith (baseball, hockey) was inducted along with Kathy O’Rourke (curling), Peter MacDonald (curling) and Lothar Zimmermann (fencing).

As an article by The Guardian explains, Smith had been inducted into the hall before as a part of sporting teams, but he was “honoured” to be inducted on his individual merits this time around.

“When you’re nominated and inducted you wonder if you are worthy, Smith was quoted as saying. “But ever since I knew I was going to be inducted I got a lot of phone calls, congratulations, and it really makes you feel honoured.”

The P.E.I.’s Sports Hall of Fame’s 2018 inductees (left to right): Loather Zimmermann, Peter MacDonald, Kathy O’Rourke, Gerard Smith.

Smith went on to say, “When I started out as a young athlete I never would have imagined ending up in the Hall of Fame, but I did the best I could every time I went on the field or on the ice and let the results speak for themselves.”

To learn more about Smith achievements in the P.E.I. sports scene, click here.

(With files from The Guardian)