The Regina Sports Hall of Fame (RSHOF) announced the inductees into its 2026 class on Tuesday at the Co-Operators Centre. The 23rd class includes the following inductees: Lois Kos (Athlete; Lawn Bowling), Janz Stein (Athlete; Athletics), Danny Banda (Athlete; Multi-Sport), Rod Schmidt (Builder; Multi-Sport), Mal and Dale Isaac (Builders; Multi-Sport) and the 2006 Regina Squids Men’s Water Polo Team. It was a special day for Janz Stein, a para-athlete who has been recognized in two sports, one which he started competing in at 32. “It’s amazing, it’s a huge accomplishment. You always make goals and set goals for yourself, like making it to the Olympics, qualifying for the Olympics. It’s always been in the back of my head to be a Sports Hall of Famer,” he said. “My friends are at the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame; I went to school with Ryan Getzlaf. You’re thinking about it, and then all of a sudden, I get a phone call and here I am.” In 2011, Stein shattered his left leg in a dirt biking accident, and had his leg amputated below the knee in 2013. Before the accident, he picked up wrestling in high school and furthered his martial arts career. He was involved in coaching high school wrestling for 12 years. Wanting to get back into athletics after his accident, he got in contact with someone at the University of Regina to get into track and field. “I got myself a running blade and started doing it. Within a year, I started enjoying it and started becoming faster and faster,” he said. “But at the age of 32 is when I started, so it’s crazy to know that I’m the fastest para-athlete in Canada and have the national record. The list goes on at my age and I’m missing a limb, and I’m still active.” By 2015, Stein was ranked top 20 in 100 metres and long jump in Canada. The following year, he set a national para long jump record, winning his first of seven national outdoor championships. So far, he’s set six Canadian long jump records. He’s also set the 100-metre para-athlete record in Canada in 2018, 2023 and 2024. Though they’re different sports, he credits those years of martial arts for his athletic success. “I think to get to the level that I’m at today, it stems from mixed martial arts and jujitsu and my dedication and stubbornness on how you have to be there,” he said. “You got to put in the time to beat somebody up. I have to put in that time to be the best in Canada or the best in the world, and if I don’t put in that time, I’m not going to get results.” As a builder, Rod Schmidt has dedicated over 40 years to various endeavours in Regina. “It means a lot, I’ve been at every one of these events, I’ve heard the stories that the honouraries and inductees have,” he said. “It’s amazing to have the kind of people in our city and what they’ve contributed to our city, to our province and to our country. It’s pretty cool to be included in that kind of world.” Schmidt was on the mission staff for nine Canada Summer Games or Canada Winter Games and was seconded from the City of Regina to work in the 2005 Canada Summer Games office as the senior manager of venues and capital development. He served as the manager of Stadium Development for the City of Regina from 2011-2019, where he was a part of the opening of the new Mosaic Stadium. “I’ve worked in the public realm for a long time, and a lot of the things that I hear from people, is that one of the great things about the city is our facilities,” he said. “When I go by fields that I was involved with the development of, you see people laughing and smiling, kids having fun, it’s still rewarding 20 years after you stopped that job.” After the addition of these inductees, the RSHOF will have a total of 139 members in the hall (58 builders, 58 athletes, 16 teams and 7 patrons) along with 150 honourary members who have been recognized by the Saskatchewan Sport Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony for those honoured will be held on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m.
