Anthony Agtarap has always been passionate about sports. At a young age he especially loved basketball, but as he got older, he discovered that rather than loving the game itself, it was the training required to get even one per cent better, and the lessons he took away from playing, that drew him in.

That mindset has shaped Anthony’s career. He went to university for engineering and prioritized strength training in the mornings before class. Over time, he realized how important this routine was to his physical and mental health as he navigated a challenging undergraduate program. This practice continued throughout his engineering career, and he started to become very interested in coaching. He eventually launched his own business, Engineered Bodies Strength and Conditioning, in Port Moody, BC. As his business grew, so did Anthony’s desire to tackle some of the bigger challenges he saw in youth sport.

That’s what led him to UBC’s Graduate Certificate in High Performance Coaching and Technical Leadership (HPCTL). After nearly three decades in the workforce, Anthony took the plunge and went ­back to school. During his first year in the program, he received the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and Mikulec Family Award in Sport Coaching.

“It was a really nice surprise that was certainly very helpful,” says Anthony. “It alleviated some of the financial pressure of being back in school.”

For Barb and Mark Mikulec, supporting students like Anthony is exactly why they chose to give back.

As UBC alumni and retired teachers, the couple established three awards, including the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific and Mikulec Family Award in Sport Coaching, which honours their daughter who graduated from UBC Kinesiology. Their other awards are in the faculties of Law and Education.

Barb and Mark Mikulec

UBC has long been a family affair for the Mikulecs. Alongside Barb and Mark, other family members—including their son and daughter—are UBC alumni. The duo has maintained their connection to the UBC community in many ways, including through continued philanthropy. They began giving in the 1990s and have supported the university consistently ever since.

Barb spent her career as an elementary school teacher and is now a member of the BC Retired Teachers Association, and Mark is involved with local community groups preserving older buildings. For Barb and Mark, giving has always been about helping people find ways to learn and grow, and their support is a reminder that giving over the long-term builds meaningful impact while creating a legacy. The Mikulecs hope they can help students like Anthony take advantage of opportunities that might otherwise be harder to pursue—and, in turn, use what they learn to contribute to their communities.

“There are a lot of students that would flourish if they had the opportunity,” says Barb. “Why not let everybody spread their wings and do their best, so they can contribute to the future.”

Receiving the Mikulec’s award came at a meaningful time for Anthony, as he balanced graduate studies with running his business and being a busy dad. He has since completed the certification and started the Master of HPTCL program, where his research centres on a question that has become increasingly important to him: how can we help young people thrive through sport? Rather than only measuring success by markers such as how much weight an athlete can lift or how many tournaments they win, Anthony wants to see youth sport also place greater emphasis on development, critical thinking and enjoyment.

“A lot of kids are dropping out of sports at a younger age because there’s so much focus on winning and being the best,” he says. “We need to reassess what these activities are meant for. Most kids aren’t going to make it as professional athletes, so we need to develop a more holistic approach to coaching that allows kids to take what they learn and apply it to other aspects of their life, things like commitment, teamwork, striving for improvement and decision making.”