VIRTUAL In the Huddle
IN THE HUDDLE: Lessons from Female Leaders in Sport
FREE VIRTUAL INTERACTIVE SPEAKER SERIES
This was a unique opportunity offered to female student-athletes in high school and post-secondary education to learn from stories told by accomplished women in their various fields. Our dynamic guest speakers – who are leaders and key contributors within their community – had 15 minutes to engage the audience with their story and share advice from their sport experience.
All the talks had an interactive component with a Q & A at the end. Students had an opportunity to network with guest speakers in breakout rooms for an activity as well!
SPEAKERS
OLIVIA GHOSH-SWABY
Hurdle or Huddle? Navigating Obstacles in Sport Leadership
Olivia is a PhD student in Neuroscience at Western University. She has been a multisport athlete throughout her high school and university career, including track and field, flag-football, and volleyball. She is a young advocate for women in sport, particularly women’s flag-football. In 2018, Olivia started an association and league for women’s football at Ontario universities. The league has over 400 athletes, 70 coaches, and 10 university teams participating, but this achievement was not easy. She has learned about the obstacles and challenges that come with being a leader in women’s sport, starting a league, and convincing members of the sports community to invest in women’s sport. She has a unique student-athlete perspective that has allowed her to champion various initiatives that combine student and athlete life.
STEPH CORKER
Resiliency: Why Quitting Is Hard
Steph Corker (she/ her) is the Founder of a Human Capital Consulting business called The Corker Collective. We recruit, develop and coach great leaders. We are passionate about renovating what is possible in your life so that you love every minute – even the tough ones. Be it mile 20 of a marathon or the race to the quarter-end finish line. We believe in the power of the intersection of every element of your life — you can be a female AND a CEO; a professional athlete AND a loving partner; a queer person of colour AND a founder, farmer or a baker. Steph was a former professional triathlete and is currently obsessed with early morning sweaty pursuits. She is also a board member of One Girl Can.
HINNAH ANSARI
Obstacles, Mistakes & Regrets in Sport: What You Can Learn From Mine
Hinnah Ansari is a mother to three boys and is currently raising two of them as Muslim student-athletes. She herself was a multi-sport athlete for almost twenty years, competing at the rep, provincial or international levels in basketball, badminton and swimming. While playing D1 college basketball in Montreal, due to difficulties in her personal life, Hinnah’s mental health deteriorated severely, causing her to leave what she loved most — basketball. But the perseverance that sports instilled in her, allowed Hinnah to excel in academia. She went on to acquire a B.A., an M.A., and a law degree from the University of Ottawa – the last of these when her older sons were just toddlers. She has now worked in law and policy for almost ten years. This August, Hinnah launched Underrated No More, a community writing program where student-athletes learn about the power of words; build their vocabularies; and analyze oft-forgotten skills in sports. It is the promotion of education for student-athletes that is at the heart of Hinnah’s volunteer work; as a rep basketball coach in Toronto, she uses her academic and athletic experiences to challenge, equip, and empower tomorrow’s elite hoopers!
ELIZABETH PEDDLE
Full-Court Pressure: Strategies to Overcome Stress and Become More Confident
Liz Peddle is all about sport. She currently plays AA hockey for the Etobicoke Dolphins, lacrosse for the Mimico Mountaineers and rugby with the Toronto Nomads. Focusing on hockey as her main sport, she has been playing since she was 5. She is in grade 10, attending Humberside CI in Toronto, where she received the rookie of the year award for the 2019-2020 season. Through school, she also plays field hockey and badminton, and is a member of the Humberside Athletic Council. In her spare time, she enjoys being with her friends and family and she enjoys the outdoors.
Thank you to all of our amazing speaker, attendees, and our superstar MC, Kalia!!!
Looking forward to next year!
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