At the CFL Hall of Fame on Monday, local dignitaries, politicians, and a who's who of Hamilton sporting history, including Gryphon Rowing alumnus Mel Laforme, gathered for the announcement of the creation of the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame.  Laforme and other steel town sporting greats will likely be among the first inductees when the Hall is officially opened in the spring of 2010.

The Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame, which exists now only online, hopes to find a home in a new PanAm Games sporting complex to be build in the coming years.  According to the web site, the Hall will "[s]trive to celebrate and promote athletes, teams, coaches, officials and builders who have achieved the highest standards of excellence while representing Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. And to recognize those whose contributions have been exemplary in the promotion of sport, as well as current athletes who are achieving significant standards."

Laforme, a 2002 inductee of the University of Guelph Athletics Hall of Fame, is an obvious candidate due to his long time association with elite level sports in Hamilton and Canada.  Playing multiple sports in high school, including rowing, wrestling, and football among others, Laforme went on to compete for the University of Guelph, earning his Varsity letter in all three sports and a Varsity Honour Award in 1979.  While at Guelph, Laforme was a member of 4 OUAA Championship Teams (Wrestling: gold '75, silver '77; and Rowing: gold '77 and '79), 2 CIAU Championship Teams (Wrestling: gold '75 and '77), and was a member of the Gryphon '79 crew that went undefeated in dual race competition.  Laforme later attended McMaster University, although he did not race there.

By far Laforme's biggest accomplishments came as a member of Team Canada, winning two PanAm silvers ('79, '83), a PanAm gold ('83), and Canada's first gold medal for sculling at the World Championships in the Quadruple Sculls ('85).  Laforme was four times a member of Canada's Olympic Team ('76, '80, '84, '88), and represented Canada at six World Championships ('77, '78, '79, '85, '86, '87).

Beyond his athletic carreer, Mel Laforme has spent his years as a successful high school History Teacher at Delta Secondary school, where he has also been very active in coaching. He has raised two children with his lovely wife Liz.  As a long time member of the Leander Boat Club of Hamilton, Laforme has and continues to give back to the sporting and rowing community in that city as well as here at the University of Guelph, where his support of the current Rowing Team is greatly appreciated.

More information on the Hamilton Sports Hall of Fame and the nomination process can be found at the official web site: http://hamiltonsportshalloffame.com./

A list of his accomplishments can also be found in the Gryphon Hall of Fame: http://www.athletics.uoguelph.ca/Alumni/Hall/49

Source: Alan Oldham