The Community Champion Achievement Award will be presented to an Abbotsford individual, group, or organization who have achieved National or International recognition in a variety of areas, including, but not limited to: academia, sports, arts and culture; or perform a noteworthy deed which is considered of benefit to the community {i.e. an act of bravery).
Nominations can be made by any individual, group or organization throughout the year, and are considered at a Special (closed) meeting, and a unanimous vote by Council is not required.
Recipients of a Community Champion Achievement Award will be recognized throughout the year during the Presentations section of the Regular Meeting of Council, or at another event which has been organized for this purpose.
Recipients
2024 - Jasmit Singh Phulka
In recognition of his athletic excellence and unwavering commitment to service in Abbotsford, Jasmit Singh Phulka is receiving the 2024 Community Champion Achievement Award.
For more than 15 years, Jasmit Singh Phulka has been representing Canada and his hometown of Abbotsford on the world stage through his love of the sport of wrestling. Beginning his career at just 10 years old, Jasmit’s longevity in competitive wrestling showcases his perseverance, commitment and passion for the sport. That same perseverance, commitment and passion has also been the backbone of his prolific community service in Abbotsford. He is a dedicated coach, generous philanthropist and enthusiastic volunteer, and his efforts are sure to leave a lasting impact on our community.
Jasmit was born and raised in Abbotsford and was introduced to wrestling at an early age. He started training in the sport at the age of 10 and soon after was inspired to turn his passion into a career by family influences, including his brother Chanmit, a Pan American Champion wrestler.
His commitment and dedicated training led him to rapidly develop his skills and technique as a freestyle wrestler and to success in local and regional matches and championships. In 2010, at the age of 16, Jasmit won a gold medal at his first-ever international tournament representing Team Canada at the Youth Commonwealth Championships in Singapore, where he also made Canadian history by becoming the first Canadian to win the Outstanding Youth Wrestler Award.
Since that very first international victory, Jasmit has consistently been a top wrestler in Canada and worldwide. He debuted at the Senior World Wrestling Championships in Budapest in 2018 and quickly rose to notable heights. In addition to winning a bronze medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, he is a 14-year member of Canada’s National Wrestling Team, a 12-time Canada Nationals medalist, a two-time Senior Pan-American Silver Medalist, five-time Canada World Team Trials Champion, and a 2020 Olympic Trials Champion, among numerous notable international accolades and accomplishments.
Jasmit’s accomplishments and impact extends far beyond his personal athletic achievements. He has been a committed volunteer wrestling coach since 2011, mentored at-risk South Asian youth for over three years through a program with the Abbotsford Police Department, dedicated two years to weekly volunteering at Canucks Place Children’s Hospice and currently serves as a director of the Abbotsford Police Foundation and as a board member at Archway Community Services, Sport Abbotsford, Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce’s Company of Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs, Character Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley Indo-Canadian Business Association. He also donated more than 500 hot meals during the 2021 floods and 100 boxes of pizza to front-line workers at Abbotsford Regional Hospital during the pandemic and currently provides meals to those in need through the Salvation Army. Most notably, Jasmit started an annual toy drive which has raised more than $100,000 in cash and toy donations in four years for Canuck Place and BC Children’s Hospital.
Known in the athletics community for excellence, integrity and never taking shortcuts, Jasmit has applied that same philosophy to his coaching, mentoring and community service work. He is committed to supporting and uplifting vulnerable individuals and embodies the values of compassion, service and leadership in all that he does.
Jasmit attributes his success to the blessings of his grandparents, who have been a constant source of inspiration, adding he is grateful to his parents, Harjit and Supinderjit Phulka, and his fiancée, Navjit, for their unwavering support throughout his journey.
