April 4, 2019 Evelyn Koop of Kalev Estienne Rhythmic Gymnastics was honoured with a most prestigious award - Lifetime Achievement - at the Ciry of Toronto's annual Honour Induction Ceremony. The Toronto Sport Hall of Honour celebrates the exceptional contributions and accomplishments of those who have inspired/or brought recognition to the City of Toronto through sport.
Evelyn was instrumental in introducing and building rhythmic gymnastics as a sport in Ontario, across Canada and even around the world. In the late fifties, Evelyn founded the Kalev Estienne Rhythmic Gymnastics Centre, which would become a leading organization in Canada. She helped establish the Ontario Rhythmics Federation in 1968 and the Canadian Modern Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation in 1971, serving as the president of both until 1980 when she became Executive Director of the former.
She founded the World's Best Championships in 1975, that would become an international competition to be held in Toronto each decade, and hosted the first Four Continents Rhythmic Gymnnastics Championships in Toronto in 1978. She received the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique Achievement Award for her work introducing the sport to China. In 2003 Evelyn was one of the founding members of the International Federation of Aesthetic Group Gymnastics.
She helped host Canada's first Aesthetic Group Gymnastics World Championships in 2008 and the Elite Canada Meet in 2010, both in Toronto. She is a recognized international authority on rhythmic gymnastics and aesthetic group gymnastics, has taught courses at universities across North America, and authored a book, instruction manuals on judging, technical manuscripts and governance documents.
Just before the award ceremony Evelyn was delighted to learn that her senior team - the AGG Rhythmic Expressions won bronze at the Four Continents Championships in Singapore and her junior team - Canadiana, took home Silver.
Congratulations to Evelyn and her amazing gymnasts!!
