FASTER. HIGHER. STRON GER. As the London 2012 Olympic Games quickly approach, Canadian women in sport reflect on our greatest challenges and inspiring triumphs S S E R P N A I D A N A C E H T / T E G R O F E R D N A - C O C : O T O H P BY DARLA MURRAY CANADIAN PRISCILLA LOPES-SCHLIEP CELEBRATES AFTER WINNING THE BRONZE MEDAL IN THE WOMEN'S 100M HURDLE'S FINAL AT THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPIC GAMES o appreciate the impact Canadian 1928 Games in which they first appeared. (CAAWS), thinks so. women have in sport, consider These trailblazers paved the way for “It’s getting better [for] athlete T this: 84 years ago when countless other female athletes, including participation,” says Lofstrom, who has Amsterdam hosted the Summer Olympic those preparing for the upcoming 2012 been with the Ottawa-based organization Games, Canada’s team included female Summer Games in London, find similar since 1997. “But we lag behind in terms athletes for the first time ever. And success at the podium. of women in decision-making positions, while those seven women accounted This year, female athletes constitute like coaching and board participation.” for less than eight percent of the 71 nearly 50 percent of the Canadian The priorities at CAAWS have shifted members, they succeeded in winning Olympic team. It’s an impressive to account for this gap by placing more than a quarter of the team’s medals. statistic that demonstrates how far greater emphasis on providing programs The contributions that track-and-field Canada has come in terms of inclusion and forums to help foster the advance - athletes Bobbie Rosenfeld, Jean of women in sport. But is it too soon ment of women in sports-related careers. Thompson , Ethel Smith, Myrtle Cook, to kick up our cleats and celebrate? “At this point only between 10 to 15 Ethel Catherwood and Jane Bell, as Karin Lofstrom, executive director percent of the coaches on our Olympic well as swimmer Dorothy Prior, made of the Canadian Association for the team are women,” says Lofstrom, to sport in Canada extend beyond the Advancement of Women and Sport adding that there is no official statistics 44 W OMEN O F I NFLUENCE MAGAZINE FEATURE SPORTS WE DO HAVE TO CELEBRATE AND RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE COME A LONG WAY, BUT [...] THERE IS SO MUCH MORE THAT SHOULD BE DONE. – CAROLINE ASSALIAN, CHIEF SPORTS OFFICER, “ CANADIAN OLYMPIC COMMITTEE ” tracking women officials, “but they’re “An effective board provides a forum “Being a sportscaster has given me low as well.” She hopes to see the where strategies and directions are a chance to still carry out my passion number of women in sport leadership decided upon after rigorous debate and for sports, just in a different capacity.” roles experience the same growth as the input of people with different views Through her current role with TSN, athlete participation. and ideas,” says Lofstrom. “Having a Beirness gets to know teams and Caroline Assalian, chief sport officer board of 10 qualified men with similar athletes from all over the world. Excited of the Canadian Olympic Committee backgrounds doesn’t make your board by the Canadian women competing at (COC), echoes that sentiment. “We do 10 times stronger.” the London Games, she points to Perdita have to celebrate and recognize that However, to make room for women Felicien and Priscilla Lopes-Schliep as we have come a long way, but it’s a to get involved, Lofstrom says that men probably the most well-known of our mini celebration,” she says. “There would have to relinquish some of their female athletes. is so much more that should be done.” power. “It has to be seen not as losing “They worked hard at becoming the Assalian has been climbing the ranks out, but as value [being] added to the best,” she says, “and continually strive of the COC for over 20 years and is an association,” she says. to become better at their sport.” integral part of preparing Canadian Assalian suggests looking to the Five-time Olympian and Olympic athletes for the Olympic Games. corporate world as an example. One silver medalist Charmaine Crooks “We need to continue to involve more of the reasons that many corporations parlayed her extremely successful women because I truly believe they have focused on advancing women career as an athlete into a thriving bring a value-added perspective that into leadership roles is to ensure that career as a sports consultant. After two makes the organization stronger.” they have a full range of perspectives decades competing on the track, she available to confront business challeng es. turned her efforts toward founding the A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD A study conducted by Catalyst found a sports marketing, management and strong correlation between the number corporate consulting company, NGU In 2005, according to Statistics Canada, of women in top executive positions Consultants – an acronym for her life’s women involved in amateur sport as and the financial performance among motto, “Never Give Up.” coaches reached 882,000. This is 15 Fortune 500 companies. Crooks’ resume includes an impressive percent higher than statistics from 1998. Sport, too, says Assalian, could collection of accolades and achievements However, Lofstrom says that trend has be more active in tapping into the – it’s no wonder she’s been named yet to be seen at the elite level. The experience and expertise that women one of the CAAWS Most Influential glacial pace of change means that can bring to coaching and boards. Women in Sport seven years in a row. many sport organizations are vastly Immigrating to Ontario from Jamaica underutilizing talented women. Female STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE with her family, which includes nine athletes constitute as much as 50 brothers and sisters, when she was six percent – and sometimes more – of TSN’s SportsCentre anchor and Toronto years old, sport was a way for Crooks the member-ship of many national reporter, Kate Beirness, played competitive to integrate into her community. It was teams, but the sports boards, coach’s basketball throughout high school, the commonality among her peers. corners and executive levels are still with the hopes of performing at the For almost as long as she’s participated largely male-dominated. Since so few Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) as an athlete, Crooks has also been women who have had successful, level. When she was 18 years old, a involved in sports advocacy. “I remember high performance competitive careers torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in high school the boys teams were as athletes become coaches, there is derailed those plans. given jockstraps, so I fought the athletic a huge loss of knowledge and potential “I realized I couldn’t play basketball department for sports bras for the girls.” coaching expertise. for the rest of my career,” says Beirness. She was among the first athletes, Additionally, when boards aren’t Applying her drive to win on the and at the time only female, to be a representative of the population, there courts into her new career has enabled member of the International Olympic is a missed opportunity for diverse Beirness to continue to succeed in the Committee’s Athletes Commission, as perspectives. sports industry. well as the IOC Ethics Commission – SUMMER 2012 45 2011 MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN IN SPORT EACH YEAR THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (CAAWS) RECOGNIZES CANADIAN WOMEN WHO ARE INFLUENCING CHANGE IN THEIR AREA OF EXPERTISE. THE LIST OF INSPIRING WOMEN INCLUDES ATHLETES, OFFICIALS, PROFESSORS, ADMINISTRATORS, COACHES AND VOLUNTEERS WHO SHARE A PASSION FOR SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND ARE USING IT TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS. DR. JODI ABBOTT , Official and volunteer , Skate Canada, (Edmonton, Alberta) THE HONOURABLE LEONA AGLUKKAQ , Minister of Health , (Gjoa Haven and Iqaluit, Nunavut) STACEY ALLASTER , Chairman & CEO , Women’s Tennis Association, (St Petersburg, Florida/Welland, Ontario) CAROLINE ASSALIAN , Chief Sport Officer , Canadian Olympic Committee, (Ottawa, Ontario) CLAIRE BUFFONE-BLAIR , President and CEO , Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, (Calgary, AB) CANADIAN WOMEN’S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM (2011 team) CHARMAINE CROOKS , Board of Directors , Canadian Olympic Committee, (Vancouver, BC) DR. WENDY FRISBY , Professor , School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, (Vancouver, BC) WENDY GITTENS , Executive Director , Wheelchair Basketball Canada, (Ottawa, Ontario) ANDREA GRANTHAM , Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director , Physical and Health Education Canada, (Ottawa, Ontario) DR. VICKI HARBER , Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation , University of Alberta, (Edmonton, Alberta) LINDSAY HUGENHOLTZ , Deputy CEO , 2011 Canada Winter Games, (Halifax, Nova Scotia) CLARA HUGHES , Olympian and advocate , (Winnipeg, Manitoba / Glenn Sutton, Quebec) ÉLAINE LAUZON , Director General , Égale Action, (Montreal, Québec) ANNE MERKLINGER , Director Summer Sports , Own the Podium, (Ottawa, Ontario) KELLY MURUMETS , President and CEO , ParticipACTION, (Toronto, Ontario) CHANTAL PETITCLERC , Spokesperson, volunteer and coach , (Montréal, Québec) KAREN RACKEL , President , the Royal Canadian Golf Association, (Edmonton, Alberta) BECKIE SCOTT , Olympian and advocate , (Vermillion, Alberta) MARY SPENCER , Athlete and volunteer , (Windsor, Ontario) FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE CANADIAN ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF WOMEN IN SPORT AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, PLEASE VISIT CAAWS.CA . 2011-2012 ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS WOMEN OF INFLUENCE ONTARIO UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS (OUA) WOMEN OF INFLUENCE