‘I didn’t realize the impact I had made on so many people’

Tobi Taylor says she is “feeling the love” after receiving a national award for her contribution to physical and health education in the NWT.

Taylor, a Yellowknife Catholic Schools teacher since 1998 according to the school district, is one of the recipients of this year’s PHE Canada Impact Awards.

PHE Canada is a national physical and health education charity. Its annual awards ceremony took place in Vancouver late last week.

Taylor initially thought she was simply a nominee, taking heart from the email notification she received but setting it aside to focus on Super Soccer, one of Yellowknife’s biggest youth sports tournaments of the year.

However, it soon became apparent she had actually won – and she booked a ticket to attend the ceremony in the company of her brother.

“This has been such a wild ride, I can’t even articulate it. I’m still processing stuff,” Taylor said on Monday.

“I was just so floored that my peers were even nominating me in the first place for something so amazing. When I realized I had actually won the award, it was surreal. I think I’m going to ride this high for a long time.”

Taylor’s parents were also phys ed teachers, as are two siblings. She took advantage of the Vancouver trip to spend time with one of her mentors, longtime NWT physical education teacher Fraser Oliver, who retired south with his wife to be closer to their children.

Since news of her award became public, she says she has been inundated with messages from former students.

“The last week has just been overwhelming, having kids I taught 25 years ago reaching out from around Canada,” she said.

“I’m getting emotional thinking about it still … I guess I just didn’t realize what kind of impact I had made on so many people.”

Taylor described the award as “a community award in my mind,” pointing to her colleagues at Yellowknife’s St Pat’s high school and across the North.

“When we put on these sporting events, we’re reaching so many kids in the North and that’s a pretty amazing thing. I want to keep doing what I’m doing,” she said.

“Why I do what I do is because of the kids, promoting sport and physical literacy, helping kids become resilient and fall in love with being active.

“I love teenagers. Not everybody does, but they’re pretty unique humans and I feel really blessed to have a job where I can make a big impact on kids.”