Local legend sails into Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame

A man who made it to the Olympics with Canada has sailed his way into the celebrated Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame.

Sandford (Sandy) Riley, who lives in Crescentwood and went to Kelvin High School, will be inducted in the all-round category this fall to recognize his accomplishments as both athlete and builder.

Amazingly, the former chair of the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg is the fourth member of his family to be inducted among the province’s sporting crème de la crème.

He willl join his grandfather, Conrad Riley, and two uncles, Culver Riley and Derek Riley, on the illustrious list of Manitoba’s most revered sporting figures.

Conrad, a rower, was inducted in 1982. Culver, who made it a year earlier, was, fittingly, the organizing talent behind the 1967 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. Derek, another rower, was inducted in May 2009.

“I’m very honoured and appreciative of being inducted,” said Riley, who is the president and CEO of Richardson Financial Group. “It’s quite nice to know I’m following in their footsteps.”

Born in 1951, Riley started sailing aged nine at the Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club in Kenora. By 13, he was Manitoba’s top junior sailor and had represented the province at the national junior championships.

He competed in eight World Championships during the 1970s, and hit the pinnacle of his career at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, placing eighth in the finn class. Always the competitior, Riley reflects on this milestone with mixed emotions.

“In some ways, my eighth place was a disappointment,” he said. “I was disqualified in my second race, where I finished third, having won the first race. Had I been able to keep that placing, I could have won the bronze (medal).”

Having left the national team in 1983 to get on with the business of raising a family and building a career, Riley is now back sailing his scull at the Kenora club most summer weekends.

“Sandy is still a very good sailor, even though he’s not competing internationally anymore,” said Brigitte Smutney, executive director of Sailing Manitoba. “In terms of what he gives to the sport, he’s a very generous man.”

Riley now says much the same about his community when he was working his way up the ladder of sailing success.

“Back in the 1970s, it was almost unheard of for someone from the prairies, where it’s frozen for seven months, to make it in sailing,” Riley says.

“But I found my neighbourhood to be very supportive of me. It doesn’t matter which sport you do in Manitoba, if you have passion, a dream and good support, you can pretty much do anything.”

Rick Brownlee, sport heritage manager at Sport Manitoba, praised Riley for his contribution as a sport builder.

“He’s had a long and very distinguished career. He’s an impressive organizer and motivator of people,” he said.

Riley was president of the Manitoba Sports Federation — the the forerunner to Sport Manitoba — from 1983-85.

The Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame induction dinner will be held Nov.7 at Winnipeg’s Victoria Inn. Tickets go on sale Aug. 1 and details can be found at www.sportmanitoba.ca/events/events.php.