Darlene Selander – Athlete

When an athlete is able to turn the sport they love into a professional career as a teacher of that sport, you know they are successful. Prince Albert’s Darlene Selander parlayed her passion for golf into her full time occupation.

As early as 1982 Selander was identified on the Provincial scene as an alternate for the Saskatchewan Junior team. She was a member of that team in ’84, ’85 and ’86 winning a spot on the Saskatchewan Ladies Amateur team in 1987. Overall she compete at 6 National Championships and was ranked #7 in Canada in Junior Women’s gold in 1986. Locally she won the Ladies Lobstick and Swift Current Ladies Open in 1987.

She also competed internationally advancing to the Optimist Wold Championship in San Diego, California in 1985 before attending the University of Hawaii on a golf scholarship for two years.

After her rewarding amateur career, Darlene returned to Canada to become the first Women’s Professional golfer in Saskatchewan through her work at the Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon. Through the SLGA she developed and implemented a Learn to Golf program to promote golf to young girls in the province.

Darlene, who married Ken Thomas, has embarked on a career as a golf professional that has taken her from Vancouver to Newfoundland.