2020 Sport for Life Canadian Summit keynote panel highlights participant-centred experiences

They come from radically different worlds, but they all have a shared trait in that they have been successful in their journeys.

During the 2020 Sport for Life Canadian Summit, which takes place January 28-30 in Gatineau, three powerful female leaders will come together to discuss their lived experiences, talk about their identities, and share what they needed to become successful. This session, “Stories of Success: A Co-Creation session on participant-centred experiences”, will highlight the intersectionality of who we are and showcase the diversity of the participants that we need to be planning for and supporting in our system.

The panel will feature Cindy Ouellet, a Paralympian in two sports who identifies as gay; Joy SpearChief-Morris, an Indigenous Black Canadian 100-metre hurdler with sights set on competing for Team Canada at the 2020 Olympics; and Zoe Robinson, a former NSO CEO who is a transgender female. The session will be moderated by Sport for Life’s Director of Operations and Special Projects, Andrea Carey, and will engage the audience in exploring how we can intentionally plan for the success of a participant-centred approach.

“Our system has many strains on it, and it feels like we sometimes forget why we’re all here: to create the spaces, places and opportunities for people to thrive. This session will showcase the experiences of three remarkable women who are all on unique journeys, with diverse needs, and explore how can we put them at the centre of all that we do,” said Carey.

“From there, delegates will co-create a list of principles that we will take forward to keep us grounded around how we put the participant first. The goal is a new way forward, a culture shift in how we think about those at the core of what we do.”

This panel is hosted by Respect Group, an organization that aims to end abuse and bullying in sport. To check out the Summit program or to register, visit sportforlifesummit.ca. For more information contact Summit coordinator Claudine Gilbert at claudine@sportforlife.ca.