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? 

Females in sport are so important! It is important to break the stigma that only boys can excel in sport. Just because the WNBA is not as popular as the NBA, does not mean that we shouldn’t push young women to be pursue what they love. If they have the drive, determination, and passion, nothing can stop them, and neither should we. We need to encourage and empower young women to truly believe that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to. To be apart of a sport, is being apart of a community. By bringing girls together to do something that they love and enjoy empowers them in itself. There needs to be more opportunities for girls to thrive in sports, and we can be a part of that. We need to encourage and empower young girls to follow their dreams and do what they love. 

 

What is a quote that motivates you?

 

A quote that motivates me is, “no one is you, and that is your power”. I love this quote because there is only one of you in this world, so embrace it. Love yourself for who you are, be proud, and embrace it.