Games Medal Design

Wednesday, February 1st, 2023

We’re excited to award our Durham Region 2023 Ontario Parasport Games medals to the athletes who have worked so hard to earn them. A good deal of work went into our medal design, including consulting with athletes, sport leaders, the local arts community, Games partners, and volunteers.

Alona Topolnisky, a graphic designer with the Region of Durham’s Economic Development and Tourism division, facilitated a focus group and then thoughtfully created three potential medal themes and designs which were reviewed and voted on by the focus group participants.

The winning theme for our Games medals is “Sport is Life.”

The design celebrates the invigorating, powerful, and thrilling feeling sport creates from within. Sport is not just a game, it’s life.

The three major considerations in the medals design elements are:

1. Human Figure – The human figure represents a flourishing athlete. Sport is a source of purpose and positivity, so the figures body language feels lively and free.

2. Flame – Sport ignites passion, drive, and ambition which is what the flame represents.

3. Energy – The flame also represents positive energy beaming from the figure. The energy that athletes receive from sport doesn’t just stay within themselves. It spreads to others and inspires, motivates, and strengthens teammates, fans, and the next generation of athletes.

 

The medal design also incorporates accessibility considerations:

1. Recognizing that the human figure blends in with the rest of the design, a subtle texture has been added to allow for differentiation through touch.

2. The back is reserved for braille, logos, and text to allow it to be easy to find and read.

Thank you to all who contributed to the creative process and to Alona, of course, for pouring her talents into the design. Whether gold, silver, or bronze, we know our Games medal winners are going to cherish these medals and proudly showcase them for all of their lives.