Paradise’s Gavin Baggs named Team Gushue Award recipient

By Mark Squibb

Multi-sport para-athlete and proud Paradise resident Gavin Baggs, 18, has been named a Team Gushue Award recipient.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Baggs of winning the award, valued at $5,000. “I’ve seen so many amazing athletes from Newfoundland win that award and so to be a part of that illustrious group was quite the honour.”
For his performance at the 2025 Summer Games, during which he nabbed a gold medal in the 1500m Wheelchair race and silver medals in Freestyle Para Swimming, 100m Wheelchair race, and 400m Wheelchair, Baggs was awarded a Roland Michener Award. He was also named a 2024 Newfoundland and Labrador Co-Junior Athlete of the Year and a 2025 Paradise Junior Athlete of the Year.
Baggs is also an alternate for the Team Canada 2026 paralympic team. The Town of Paradise will host the 2026 Para Cup, and Baggs was invited to speak at the media event last month announcing the hosting decision.
“I like to keep busy and doing multiple things at once,” said Baggs. “It keeps me out of trouble and keeps me fit. I love doing parasport, no matter what the sport is. I love playing for my country, my province, my town, my school, whatever. I love competing.”
Baggs said the best advice he can give to a young person starting out with a sport or other hobby is to stick to it.
“The hardest thing is getting the feel for it,” said Baggs. “Once you get past those first steps, it becomes so much easier.”
Baggs will be pursuing a double major in education and theatre arts at the University of Calgary this fall.
A number of other Paradise athletes were named 2025 Premier’s Athletic Awards recipients, including Avery Durdle (Baseball), Jack McCarthy (Baseball), Amy Harris (Bowling), Evan Squires (Bowling), Kevin Penney (Shooting), Luke Fahey (Soccer), Hannah Neville of Paradise, and Kaiden Crocker (Taekwondo). The awards are valued at between $500 and $1,500, based on the level of competition and the athletes’ accomplishments.