WEEK #15: SIERRA HUM
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
My name is Sierra Hum and I’ve played badminton for 8 years now. I have competed at the provincial and national level. Before I played badminton, I was a competitive gymnast and when I was in elementary school, I played basketball, volleyball, badminton, did track and cross country, and I was captain of my basketball and badminton team. When I graduated in grade 8, I won female athlete of the year which was a big accomplishment for me.
What do you do to give back to your sport community? Why is it important?
Something that I love to do within my community revolving sports is coaching! I have been coaching for around 6 years now and it is what has inspired me to go to school to become a teacher. I think coaching is great because I get to meet so many young athletes who love the sport and it forms a sense of community amongst us. A lot of my students tell me about how much I have helped them, but they have helped me tremendously as well. As a coach, I learn so much from my students and I love being able to have such an impact on them. Every person that I have coached has taught me something new and I am so grateful that I am able to coach such amazing kids! It is especially hard to find female coaches, I am one of the few, and so I find my female students often feel comfortable around me and I love that I can create a friendly environment for them. I love seeing young athletes be passionate about badminton and I love helping in any way that I can.
Who is a role model to you? Why?
A big role model of mine, is my older sister, Marissa. She has always supported me throughout my life, knows me better than anyone, and is truly my best friend. I look up to her and everything that she does. She knows what she wants, and she does not stop until she gets it. She has a confidence in herself that I never had but I’ve always admired about her. She is so strong and she lifts me up, which is what I hope I can do for my young athletes that I coach.
What advice do you have for parents, coaches or sport administrators to encourage or improve sport for females?