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Diane Jones Konihowski

Multisport Builder - Inducted 2002

Diane Jones Konihowski has been involved in sports for over 45 years as an athlete, coach, official, administrator, volunteer, journalist, and now a parent. Her prolific athletic career as a three-time Olympian and twice ranked number one pentathlon competitor in the world was just the beginning of Diane's sporting achievements.

As an administrator, Diane began her professional career in 1985 with the Alberta Sport Council as Director of the Alberta Olympic Game Plan - a unique plan designed to significantly increase the number of Alberta athletes on the 1988 Canadian Olympic Team. Later Diane continued her work with high-performance athletes at the National Sports Centre Calgary.

As Manager of Athlete Services, Diane developed the Y.E.S. (Youth Education through Sport) Program which trained athletes in public speaking and put them into Alberta schools as positive role models. Diane also developed a Self-Marketing Workshop, which assisted athletes in the development of a personal marketing portfolio to help them raise the much-needed dollars to support their sports training.

A long-time advocate of drug-free sports, coaching education, and athlete development, Diane has spent the past 16 years as a volunteer Director of Fair Play Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, the Canadian Olympic Association, and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport. During this time she undertook the roles of Vice-President of Marketing and Director of Public Relations at the National Sports Centre Calgary. She also led the 2000 Canadian Olympic Team to Sydney, Australia as Chef de Mission.

Diane's sporting accomplishments on and off the field are numerous, and she has received several major awards for her contributions to improving the Canadian sports system. The most noteworthy are the Order of Canada in 1978, the YWCA "Woman of Distinction" Sport & Recreation Award in 1988, "Great Canadian" Award in 1993, and she was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. This spring Diane will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree from the University of Saskatchewan and Brock University in recognition of her distinguished contribution to Canadian sport.

After Induction

2005 - elected to the board of directors of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

2005 - Alberta Centennial Salute for Sport and Recreation Award

2006 - Saskatchewan Centennial Award Sport & Recreation

2007 - University of Saskatchewan“100 Most Influential Alumni” Award

2010 - was named CEO of KidSport Canada.

2012 - Canadian Sports Heroes Collection Painting – Portrait of Diane by artist Gordon Milne

Awards

2007 - University of Saskatchewan“100 Most Influential Alumni” Award

2006 - Saskatchewan Centennial Award Sport & Recreation

2005 - Alberta Centennial Salute for Sport and Recreation Award

2003 - Saskatoon Hall of Fame, U of S Huskies Athletics Team, Coach

2002 - Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, Multi-Sport Builder

2002 - Queens Jubilee Medal

2001 - Calgary Booster Club, Athletic Leader

1995 - Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, Athlete

1993 - Great Canadian Award

1992 - University of Saskatchewan, Athletic Wall of Fame

1992 - Commemorative Medal, 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada

1990 - International Toastmasters “Communication & Leadership” Award

1988 - YWCA “Woman of Distinction” Award, Sport

1980 - Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame, Athlete

1979 - Chatelaine Magazine “First Woman of the Year”

1978 - Order of Canada

1978 - Canada’s “Female Athlete of the Year”

1975 - Canada’s “Female Athlete of the Year”

Other Accomplishments

2010-2011          - CEO, KidSport Canada

2008-2011          - Member, Premiere’s Council on Arts & Culture

2008-2010          - Member, Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation, Heart Truth Leadership Council 2006-                            - Member, Petro-Canada’s FACE Committee

2006-2011          - Director, KidSport Canada

2005-2011          - Chair, KidSport Alberta

2001-2005          - Director, KidSport Alberta

1997-2009          - Director, Canadian Olympic Committee

1999-2005          - Member, Canadian Olympic Committee Games Review Committee

1997-2001          - Executive Member & Director, Canadian Olympic Association

1995-1997          - Vice President, Canadian Olympic Association

1997-2005          - Chair, Petro-Canada Olympic Torch Scholarship Fund

1997-2001          - Chair, Olympic Legacy Coaching Fund

2000                   - Chef de Mission 2000 Canadian Olympic Team ( Sydney, Australia)

1992-2000          - Honorary Co-Chair, University of Saskatchewan’s Athletic Endowment Fund   

1986-1999          - Director, Coaching Association of Canada

1993-1995          - Chair, Fair Play Canada

1995-1999          - Director, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport

1993-1995          - Director, Calgary Olympic Development Association

1993-1995          - Chair, Olympic Hall of Fame

1986-1994          - Director, Commission for Fair Play

Athletic Career Highlights

  • Retired from active competition in 1984.

  • 17 years on Canada’s National Track & Field Team (1967-84)  

  • Winner of over 70 Canadian Championship titles – Pentathlon, high jump, long jump, shot put, hurdles, sprint relays

  • Canadian, Commonwealth & Pan American Games Champion & Record Holder

  • Olympic Games – 1972 (10th), 1976 (6th) and 1980 (boycott)

  • “Alternate Olympics” – Gold medal (1980)

  • Commonwealth Games: 1970, 1974 & 1978 (Gold medal)

  • Pan American Games  - 1975 (Gold) & 1979 (Gold medal)

  • 1981 World Cup Team

  • 1975 & 1978 ranked #1 in the world in the pentathlon event

  • World University Games, Moscow, USSR – Bronze medal (1973)