Taras Hryb began wrestling with the Victoria Y Club at age 14 under the expert guidance of local wrestling guru Ed Ashmore. The powerful young man from Oak Bay Junior High School rose from the YMCA mats to win bronze medals at both the 1971 Pan-American Games in Cali, Colombia and 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand. He ended a long national drought and dramatically kick started a revival in Canadian amateur wrestling in 1969 when he won bronze in the 180-pound freestyle class at the world junior championships in Boulder, Colorado. That was Canada s first international wrestling medal since the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics. Taras made it to the 1972 Munich Olympics as a mere 18 year-old but chronic knee injuries eventually ended his career. Taras' accomplishments included winning the Canadian university title four times and competing in the world championships and World University Games. Taras was named Victoria male athlete of the year for 1969 and was inducted into the Canadian Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1988.

The Victoria Figure Skating Club has produced champions and has provided thousands of young participants a chance to compete in this elegant sport on blades. The club was born in the legendary Patrick Arena in Oak Bay in 1926, the year after the Victoria Cougars won the Stanley Cup on the same ice sheet. It moved to the old Willows Fairground site before settling into the then new Memorial Arena for a fruitful 53-year run. The VFSC was the second largest skating club in Canada during the 1960s and its past and continuing success is attributable to dedicated and knowledgeable coaches and volunteers. The club is proud of its two Canadian champions and has treated many appreciative fans to Ice Capades and championship competitions over its three quarters of a century existence.