Congratulations to Paige Willson, 2021 recipient of the Lisa Ford Memorial Award!
The Lisa Ford Memorial Award is given to a female member of the Durham Attack Volleyball Club in memory of the sister of one of our members whose life was cut short by cancer. The athlete exudes an enthusiasm and spirit that empowers others to participate. The recipient enjoys the opportunity to participate and make positive contributions in all aspects of their volleyball
life. Their attitude and spirit are apparent to all and it is their love of the game that marks their success.
Paige wanted to play volleyball since she was 3 years old after spending years following her sister’s teams around every tournament and road trip. When Paige was finally able to play she was in her glory. She started at House League, then 12U
Select where she was tagged as a “quiet leader”. At 14U she played 27 sets straight at Provincials to help earn her team a Division 1 Tier 2 Gold. She was exhausted but still went on the court smiling as she led her team through their comeback. Paige has won many awards during her Durham Attack career and is one of two players from the original 13U Black Team who played every year.
She watched players come and go and come back again. Year after year it did not matter to her where her teammates came from or who they played for previously, she always welcomed them to the team with open arms. Off the court, Paige volunteered at Team 12 and worked at Durham Attack’s summer camp. Many of the kids Paige has met along the way still play and look up to her. When at the gym, you can hear the kids saying “Paige came to watch us”. Paige has taken time out of her weekends to support numerous teams. Right before the pandemic, she traveled to Welland to cheer on Blaze and Blitz as they played each other in an OVA Tournament. Three years ago, Their Opportunity was looking for someone to come in and teach kids how to play volleyball at the Oshawa Park Program. Paige jumped at the opportunity and absolutely loved spending time with the kids.
This past season, Paige organized a collection to make a care package for a former player who is struggling with the side effects of cancer treatments and delivered it to the family. This family has said this has helped to keep their son positive. These are just a few of the ways Paige has made a positive contribution to all aspects of volleyball life and shown her spirit. Her love of the game is genuine and she will have that for life.
