Student-athlete recognized for dedication to the sport of wrestling and community volunteerism
REGINA (November 17, 2022) – The Glenn “Keeper” McWhinney Scholarship Fund, presented by the Canadian Football Hall of Fame (CFHOF) and Museum, and administered by The Winnipeg Foundation, has named the Taebyn Tulp as its inaugural recipient. The native of Outlook, Sask., is set to attend the University of Saskatchewan in 2023 upon graduating from Outlook High School in Saskatchewan.
“On behalf of the McWhinney family, it is my absolute privilege to present Taebyn with this scholarship,” said Greg Dick, Interim Executive Director of the CFHOF. “Taebyn has shown remarkable skill, incredible heart and exceptional passion her journey with wrestling. Her efforts on the mat, in the classroom and in the community would make Glenn extremely proud.”
The scholarship is named in memory of Glenn “Keeper” McWhinney – a Grey Cup champion and a pillar of the community, who passed in 2012 following a courageous battle with cancer. His family and friends created the scholarship fund in his honour, which awards $5,000 to a student-athlete who embodies the attributes of its namesake: commitment, honesty, humility, courage and volunteerism in the community. The awarded scholarship is paid to a post-secondary institution as the recipient continues their pursuit of excellence in sport and academics.
Growing up in a small town, Tulp’s opportunities to pursue the sport of wrestling were limited. With no viable club team and only a small school team available, she was forced to seek out avenues for training far from home, often making a four-and-a-half hour round trip to Regina for a single two-hour practice session. During the COVID-19 pandemic with sport all but shut down, she continued her training regimen on her own, aiming to return to the mat stronger and more committed than ever.
In her grade 11 year, the University of Saskatchewan began inviting her to practices, and she began attending training camps in Montana, Regina, Calgary, Edmonton and Saskatoon. In training against older competition, she was often humbled on the wrestling mat, but she continued to persevere through sheer will and determination, viewing both victories and defeats as opportunities for growth and development. As a ninth-grader in 2020, she captured an Saskatchewan High Schools Athletic Association Silver in the 53 kg weight class, and in 2022, she won the 61 kg competition without having a single point scored against her.
Tulp is a dedicated member of the community, serving as a coach for multiple sports. She volunteers with Meals on Wheels, delivering to local seniors, while working with her hometown of Outlook to help out at numerous events. As she works towards her planned profession of teaching, she has begun volunteering each week in a Grade 3 classroom. Recognizing the opportunity to build camaraderie and unity within her own school, she works to pair her fellow twelfth-graders with incoming sixth-graders to foster a greater sense of school pride and togetherness.
“Taebyn is a shining example of the determination and passion in young Canadian student-athletes,” added Dick. “The Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the McWhinney family hope that her story inspires others looking to follow a similar path. She will be a tremendous addition to the culture and community of the University of Saskatchewan.”
The Glenn “Keeper” McWhinney Scholarship Fund was presented to Tulp during the CFL Awards, a flagship event of Grey Cup Week as fans, media and the Canadian football community gather in anticipation of the country’s largest single-day sporting event – the Grey Cup. For more information on the 2022 Grey Cup Festival’s events, including dates, venues, purchasing details and more, please visit GreyCupFestival.ca.
The 109th Grey Cup will be played in Regina at Mosaic Stadium on Sunday, November 20 with kickoff slated for 5 p.m. local/6 p.m. ET. The sold-out contest and the Twisted Tea Grey Cup Halftime Show, featuring Jordan Davis, Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line and Canadian Josh Ross, will be broadcast live across the nation on TSN and RDS – Canada’s home of the CFL.
