Kevin Sirois

Cycling & Speed Skating Athlete — Inducted 1993

Kevin Sirois was one of Alberta’s most gifted and versatile endurance athletes, excelling at both speed skating and cycling at the national and international levels.

Born and raised in Red Deer, Alberta, Sirois quickly emerged as a dominant competitor in long-track speed skating. He set more than 20 Canadian records at both junior and senior levels in events ranging from 500 metres to five miles. His performances earned him recognition as one of Canada’s top young athletes, and in 1968 he became the first recipient of the Canadian Amateur Speed Skating Association’s Skater of the Year Award.

Sirois represented Canada at the 1972 Winter Olympic Games in Sapporo, Japan, where he placed 14th in the 10,000-metre event. In doing so, he set a Canadian record in the event that stood until 1982. His Olympic performance confirmed his status as one of the country’s leading distance skaters.

At the same time, Sirois was building a promising career in cycling. He competed at the 1971 Pan American Cycling Competition and toured Italy with the Canadian National Cycling Team. By 1972, he was training for a position on Canada’s Summer Olympic Cycling Team — a rare opportunity that would have made him one of the few Canadians to compete in both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games in the same year.

Tragically, in May 1972, Kevin Sirois was killed in a cycling accident near Ponoka, Alberta, while preparing for Olympic competition. His passing cut short a career filled with extraordinary promise and achievement.

In recognition of his athletic accomplishments and lasting impact, the Kevin Sirois Centre at Red Deer College was named in his honour.

Career Highlights & Honours

• 1972 Winter Olympian — 10,000m (14th place)
• Canadian record holder — 10,000m (stood until 1982)
• Set 20+ Canadian speed skating records (junior & senior levels)
• 1968 — First Canadian Amateur Speed Skating Association Skater of the Year
• 1971 — Pan American Cycling Competition competitor
• Member — Canadian National Cycling Team (Italy tour)
• Red Deer Athlete of the Year — 1966, 1971
• City of Edmonton Award for contribution to sport and community
• 1993 — Alberta Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

After Induction