Kurt Michael Downes

Kurt is an award-winning teacher with the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board and President/Head Coach of the Boarder City Athletics Club.  Kurt has represented Canada as a staff coach at a number of international events including the World Youth and World Junior Championships,  the Pan American Games, the World Championships and the Tokyo Olympic Games. As a coach, educator, and mentor of elementary school student athletes, he has used his resources to help students and athletes to realize their potential. During the pandemic, Kurt arranged for a number of Olympians and elite female athletes to guide 60 young girls who identified as black, indigenous of people of colour (BIPOC) at a special event filled with fun and fitness in the hope of encouraging this to get active.  He has also, developed a series of videos entitled “the Learning Never Stops” to encourage students to return back to class during the post covid climate that included various professional athletes. Kurt was the recipient of the Canadian Running Magazine Golden Shoe Awards’ Community Builder of the Year, following a number of years in which he helped create opportunities for young women to see a future for themselves in sports. Under his leadership, the Border City Athletics Club, hosts an annual summit, entitled ” Women Can”, to encourage women to become coaches and seek positions within sport. 
In addition, Kurt was named the Athletics Canada Dr. Doug Clement Coach of the Year and the Contributions to Catholic Education Award winner. Kurt has recently begun his PhD in Kinesiology at the University of Windsor, under Dr. Kevin Milne.