By Sam Cortes, Communications Coordinator
Mission staff volunteers are Team Manitoba’s biggest fans! They’re already working hard behind the scenes so the Herd can perform at its best come Games time.
Meet our mission staff for the 2025 Canada Summer Games:
Drew Todd – Chef de Mission
Drew is Sport Manitoba’s Senior Games Manager and joins Team Toba as the Chef de Mission for the 2025 Canada Games. This will be Drew’s fifth Canada Games and third as Chef after leading Manitoba at the 2022 and 2023 events. Drew has an extensive background in managing high performance programs following ten years working in BC’s sport system with Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, and is excited to guide Team Toba’s development and support the province’s best athletes and coaches.
Kylo Harris – Assistant Chef de Mission
Kylo brings a wealth of experience to the role of Assistant Chef, having participated in eight Manitoba Games and nine Canada or Western Canada Games with Team Manitoba. His dedication to sport is evident not only in his professional career, but also in his personal life, as he is married to Donna Harris, a long-standing athlete and coach, and a father to two multi-sport athletes, Abby and Clara.
Susan Lamboo – Assistant Chef de Mission
With over 30 years of coaching experience, Susan is a trailblazer in Special Olympics, having served as both Chef de Mission and Assistant Chef at multiple national and international events. As Sport Manitoba’s Coaching Manager, and with 15 years working at Special Olympics Manitoba, her leadership has shaped countless athletes’ journeys. Outside of sport, Susan is a proud mom of two—Meghan and Callum—who are dedicated athletes themselves.
Amanda Sousa – Games Specialist
Amanda is one of Sport Manitoba’s Games Specialists and has a lifelong passion for sport. Amanda is actively involved in judo as an athlete, assistant coach, and tournament volunteer. She also practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and competes on the International BJJ circuit. Outside of sport, Amanda has a spoiled cat named Walter and she enjoys cycling, concerts, and art events. Amanda is excited to see the athletes showcase their talents and create memorable experiences at the Canada Games.
Gabriel Brandt – Games Specialist
Gabriel works as a Games Specialist for Sport Manitoba. Growing up in Blumenort, Manitoba, he played a wide variety of sports and continues to curl competitively. He has a degree in Sport Management from Trinity Western University. He’s bringing his experience and expertise working game days with the Bombers and Goldeyes to Team Toba, and is excited to work with the team to create a memorable experience for all our athletes on Canada’s East Coast.
Mo Crossman-Serb – Games Specialist
Mo is a Games Specialist at Sport Manitoba. Born and raised in Winnipeg, he stumbled upon the Manitoba Canoe Kayak Centre and has been hooked to paddling ever since. Mo is a former competitive paddler, competing at the 2011 Western Canada Summer Games and the 2013 Canada Summer Games. He comes with degrees in Kinesiology, Chemistry, and Development from the University of Winnipeg. Mo is excited for the opportunity to join the team for the 2025 Canada Summer Games in Newfoundland!
Scott Kirk – Rugby + Male Softball
Scott is currently the Director of Health Services at the Brandon Regional Health Centre. He has been involved in sport in various roles for many years as an athlete, coach, and volunteer. Scott has been involved in numerous multi-sport games in various roles – Sport Chair, Mission Staff for Canada Games, and Chef de Mission for the 2024 Manitoba Summer Games.
Laurie MacDonell – Swimming + Diving
Laurie works for the Winnipeg Newcomer Sport Academy and previously worked for Curl Manitoba. Sport has been a large part of her life, including her own sports and watching/coaching/cheering on her children. Laurie was a parent cheering on her son at the 2022 Canada Games and was mission staff for both female curling and mixed doubles curling at the 2023 Canada Games. She is looking forward to working with Team Manitoba in Newfoundland and cheering loud for all of our athletes.
Janelle Bohunicky – Female Softball + Female Baseball
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Janelle grew up as a multi-sport athlete competing in volleyball and softball. In 2019, she graduated from the University of Manitoba with a degree in Recreation Management and Community Development. She’s the Events and Sponsorship Coordinator at Sport Manitoba, a statistician for the U of M Bisons volleyball, and works in scoring operations for the Winnipeg Goldeyes. She’s excited to support Team Toba in St. John’s to make sure they have everything they need to be successful and have a memorable experience!
Alex Stoikos – Lacrosse
Alex is the competition coordinator for Special Olympics Manitoba where he coaches a FUNdamentals program. Sport has been a significant part of his life – as an athlete competing in lacrosse, as a volunteer at the 2022 Canada Summer Games, and working at the 2023 World Police and Fire Games. Alex grapples with grappling sports and aspires to coach field lacrosse in Winnipeg. He is very excited to be a part of the 2025 Canada Summer Games mission staff with the opportunity to help athletes and coaches reach their goals.
Lynn Girardin – Male Soccer + Athletics
Lynn has over 40 years in sport as an athlete, volunteer, and coach. She attended the last two Canada Winter Games, first as a parent and then as a Head Coach for ringette. She’s looking forward to shifting gears and sharing her passion for sport and knowledge of the Games with the next generation of athletes at the 2025 Canada Summer Games.
Felicia Borges – Female Soccer
Felicia has been immersed in sport throughout her life. From an early age, she engaged in various sports, discovering a passion for volleyball, which she continues to play today. Her journey as a coach provided her with a fresh perspective, sparking a deeper passion for sport. Today, she continues to engage in sport as a Certified Athletic Therapist and as Sport Manitoba’s Sport Administrative Coordinator. Beyond sport, Felicia enjoys coffee, movies, travelling, the theatre, and dogs.
Amber Marra – Beach Volleyball + Artistic Swimming
Amber is Sport Manitoba’s Brand & Marketing Manager and is joining mission staff as a volunteer. She loves physical activity, including playing sports (especially volleyball and tennis), neighbourhood strolls, and Spikeball tournaments with friends. She also has a side gig as the play-by-play voice for the University of Manitoba Bisons volleyball teams. She was raised in rural Manitoba and now lives with her husband in Winnipeg.
Bailey Riffel – Female Basketball + Wrestling
Bailey is a high school teacher. She grew up playing sports, and now she’s involved in boxing as an athlete and a coach. Bailey is passionate about helping young athletes grow in their sport.
Franz Tibay – Male Basketball + Golf
Franz Tibay brings over a decade of experience in the financial industry and is a leader of a dynamic financial advisory team. Over the years, his team has been fortunate to work with families and local businesses on a variety of solutions to accelerate their financial needs. Beyond his career, Franz is a proud powerlifter athlete and partner of Movement Fitness & Performance a local independent Winnipeg gym. Being involved in the community is something he finds meaningful and he is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the success of athletes both on and off the field.
Donnae Gordon – Tennis
Donnae is a university track and field athlete who loves the Games experience. She competed at the 2022 Canada Summer Games and the 2016 Manitoba Summer Games. She also worked with Sport Manitoba as the Games Assistant for the 2024 Manitoba Summer Games. Donnae enjoys coaching track and field for aspiring athletes and now hopes to give back to the sport community as a first time mission staff for the 2025 Games!
Pat Alexander – Canoe/Kayak + Male Volleyball
Growing up Pat received tremendous support from his coaches and sport support staff. It was priority #1 to make sure he found ways to give back once he stopped competing as an athlete. Being a mission staff at a Games is an incredible way to not only give back to sport, but also to feed his appetite for the Games environment. Pat love love loves the Games, and cannot wait to help out the sports and give back some of what was given to him.
Darian Hole – Cycling, Sailing + Mountain Bike
Darian has been a lifelong athlete who has competed internationally in triathlon and represented the U of M Bisons on the track. He works as a microbiologist and continues to be very active in sport as a coach of the Manitoba youth triathlon program – alongside his own training. He has both competed and been part of the mission staff at previous Canada Games and hopes to be involved in sport for a long time!
Emily George – Male Baseball + Female Volleyball
Emily is the Executive Director of Recreation Manitoba, and a self-declared director of fun. After playing her own game of where in the world is Carmen Sandiego, she has now proudly called Manitoba home for the past 13 years. Emily has delivered events across the country, including two Canada Games Host Societies where she caught the Games bug, and enjoys delivering memorable Games experiences. She is a fun auntie, dog-mom to Einstein, and caregiver to a well travelled Stuart, the sourdough starter.
Mandy Los – Medical Liaison
Mandy is a certified athletic therapist with the University of Manitoba and has been to most of the Canada Games in the last two decades. In the summer, you can find Mandy on the golf courses attempting to perfect her game or at the lake with her dog. In the winter, you can find her in an arena or gym watching the Bisons compete. She’s looking forward to supporting Team Toba at her eighth Canada Games in Newfoundland.
Jacquie Mazur – Performance
Jacquie is a strength and conditioning coach with over 10 years of experience working with high performance athletes in Manitoba. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to work with organizations such as, Sport Manitoba Performance, Special Olympics Canada, the Winnipeg Sea Bears, RBC Training Ground, and the International Ice Hockey Federation.
At Games, chances are you’ll spot her lugging bags of recovery and strength equipment, and running awesome activation and recovery sessions! Outside of Games, she plays ultimate frisbee, coaches Special O powerlifting, is at the lake in the summer, or in her studio making pottery.
Anthony Lawrence – Performance
Anthony has always been driven by his passion for health and fitness. A Kinesiology graduate from Ontario Tech, Anthony’s multi-sport background drives his coaching approach; making one’s weaknesses their strengths and seeing that athletic growth is experienced when tested. He’s the Performance Coach for Brandon University’s Bobcats Athletics programs and Team Manitoba athletes in the Westman region, and draws on his experience as a Fitness & Sports Instructor for Canada’s Armed Forces out of CFB Shilo. Known for his fun approach to fitness, Anthony doesn’t hesitate to improve the musical tastes of his athletes by introducing them to different (and often better) melodies because Top 40 isn’t everything.
AJ Zeglen – Performance (MPC)
AJ holds his CSCS from the NSCA and a CCC from the CCPA. He is the manager of Focus Fitness, a high-performance training facility and the owner of Invictus Performance Focused Psychotherapy, where he works with teams and individuals on mental health and performance. He has worked with the Winnipeg Jets, Manitoba Moose, and many other athletes spanning from development ages to professional levels in leagues such as the NHL, AHL, KHL, ECHL & CFL. AJ brings over 15 years of experience and his unique brand of physical and mental training techniques to professional athletes, amateur athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and community members. In addition to playing basketball and rugby, AJ played five seasons for the University of Manitoba Bison’s football team.
Paige Zaporzan – Performance (MPC)
Paige is a dedicated mental health professional who holds a Masters in Counselling Psychology with advanced training in EMDR, and certification as a holistic health coach. With a broad range of experience in private clinical settings and working with Canada Games athletes across various sports, she is passionate about guiding clients through the challenges of mental health and optimal performance. She specializes in helping individuals process trauma, heal from past experiences, and cultivate mental and emotional resilience. Using a client-centered approach and positive, evidence-based tools, she fosters self-awareness and empowers clients to develop the skills needed for both personal growth and peak performance. Her mission is to help each client unlock their full potential, creating a pathway to enhanced well-being, confidence, and success in all areas of life.
Sarah Tone – Communications
Sarah has proudly been a part of Team Manitoba for 10 years. She’s the storyteller who highlights the athletes’ journeys, challenges, and triumphs on and off the field. She’s a multi-sport athlete, who’s been a coach, umpire, volunteer, and cheerleader – who’s looking forward to putting those cheering skills to the test again at the 2025 Games! Her perfect day starts with a laugh, then playtime with her kids, and wraps up with a big bowl of ice cream.
Evan Midford – Communications
Evan is Sport Manitoba’s Digital Content Coordinator and has worked there for over three years. He also works with the Winnipeg Jets’ content team, does play-by-play for the University of Manitoba women’s soccer team, and colour commentary for the U of M men’s hockey team. When he isn’t working, you can probably find Evan at the pitch, the rink, the slopes, the courts, or watching a Manchester City game.
