The 2023 Mort Fellman Female Athlete of the Year is a grade 11 Chippewa Secondary School student who excels at numerous sports.
Jackson was selected as the 2023 recipient by the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame.
When she is not on the court, field, or in the swimming pool, you can find her downhill skiing or water skiing.
Throughout the year, Annabelle Jackson was finding success in every single one of her competitions in team and solo sports. From winning gold with the Vision Volleyball U16 strikers in a tournament in March, to being named the Chippewa Female Athlete of the Year for 2023 as a grade 10 student while playing for the Senior Girls Volleyball and Soccer teams, the awards and accomplishments were already piling up.
However, it was a performance at the North American Indigenous Games in Halifax that separated Annabelle from her peers. That is where Annabelle won three individual gold medals: 50-meter freestyle, 50-meter butterfly, and 200-meter backstroke. Three more team gold medals, as well as a silver in 100-meter backstroke, and a bronze in 100-meter freestyle. All told, Annabelle brought home eight medals from this one competition.
When not representing Northern Ontario, Annabelle has also been winning medals for the Y Titans Swim Team, including nine podium finishes at the Dominique Bouchard Invitational Swim Meet in North Bay. She was also awarded the North Bay YMCA Titans Coach’s Award for Swimming in June.
Jackson will receive her award from the North Bay Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday, May 11, 2024, at the Davedi Club. Tickets for the 43rd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner are available by contacting Larry Tougas (705-303-8104).
