January 16, 2026: Two Canadian beach volleyball athletes were recently honoured with the annual Tom Ng Award.

Jonny Pickett of Wiarton, Ontario, and Marie-Alex Bélanger of Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez, Quebec, were each presented with an award at this week’s Volleyball Canada beach induction camp in Toronto.

Pickett and his partner, two-time Olympian Sam Schachter, competed at the 2025 Beach Volleyball Worlds (finishing 17th) and won the 2025 NORCECA Beach Championship in December.

"It is an honour to receive the Tom Ng award, and it was awesome to meet Tom in person at this week’s induction camp," said Pickett. "Big thanks to my partner Sam and coach (Srdjan) Veckov for all the work we have put in this year, although it is just the beginning. This award will help support me in the coming season as we begin the Olympic qualification process for LA 2028."

Bélanger, who has also been on the indoor National Team, competed at the Beach Worlds with Lea Monkhouse and won a 2025 NORCECA Championship silver medal.

"I was truly surprised and very grateful to receive the Tom Ng Award. I tend to be quite hard on myself, and when you have your head down and are focused on the next steps in your career, it can be difficult to take a step back and recognize your wins and progress," explained Bélanger. "This award feels like a meaningful pat on the back. It acknowledges my commitment and reassures me that I’m moving in the right direction as I work toward bigger goals ahead."

The Tom Ng Beach Volleyball Athlete Assistance Fund was created in 2013 in partnership with Volleyball Canada and the Canadian Olympic Foundation. Annually, the fund awards a high-performance beach volleyball athlete(s) an amount to help offset training and competition expenses.

For more information about the fund, including the link to donate, visit this page:
https://volleyball.ca/en/about/support-us

Volleyball Canada media contact:
Jackie Skender