Badminton star Humble won MacEwan's first national championship

Áine Humble, badminton

(Inducted 2025)

As an accomplished junior player out of the Derrick Golf & Winter Club, Áine Humble had already won three national mixed badminton titles with her brother David prior to coming to MacEwan in 1987.

So when she led the Griffins into the 1988 CCAA Championship, she was so dominant that she had a 'bagel' (an 11-0 win) in each of her matches, en route to the CCAA women's singles gold medal. 

Her achievement was historic: the first national title - individual or team - by a Griffins student-athlete.

In the years following, 11 more CCAA individual gold medals were won by MacEwan athletes, including another one by Humble, who won the 1989 CCAA women's doubles championship with Carlyn Ching.

Also in 1989, Humble helped Team Alberta - including several of her Griffins teammates - claim the CCAA team championship.

Named Griffins Female Athlete of the Year in 1988-89, Humble helped kick off a MacEwan badminton dynasty that accounted for 21 individual CCAA medals, 24 ACAC individual championships and 15 CCAA All Canadians (two of them belonging to Humble) over a 12-year span from 1988-2000.

READ MORE ON HUMBLE IN HER WALL OF DISTINCTION INDUCTION FEATURE HERE

READ HUMBLE'S 'WHERE ARE THEY NOW' ALUMNI FEATURE FROM 2021 HERE

MacEwan's 1988-89 badminton team featured three national champions, four CCAA All Canadians and multiple ACAC medalists. Áine Humble is seated next to the trophies (file photo).