Slava Corn receives Carol Anne Letheren Award
Honoured for excellence in international sport leadership

Press Release
April 17, 2004

Recognizing more than 30 years of involvement in the sport of gymnastics, Slava Corn, from Toronto, ON, is the second recipient of the Carol Anne Letheren International Sport Leadership Award. The award was announced today during the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) Congress in Montreal, Quebec.

This award, established by the COC and the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), honours Letheren’s legacy both in Canada and internationally. It acknowledges a Canadian woman who has made an outstanding contribution in the area of international sport leadership and who has had a profound impact on sport and physical activity.

Slava Corn’s career in sport includes many years working tirelessly as a volunteer with Gymnastics Canada, and a professional career as Director of Sport & Recreation at Seneca College. She has been actively involved at all levels of gymnastics, working diligently to develop the entire spectrum of the sport from recreational programs to high performance. She was the first-ever woman President of Gymnastics Canada, serving from 1990 to 1995. In 1992 she became a member of the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) Executive Committee. She has served on several FIG Commissions, including Media & Communication, as well as the Age Group Development Program.

In 2000 she was elected as First Vice President of FIG, becoming the first and still only woman to be elected to that office. Her contributions at the international level have been instrumental in generating changes to make gymnastic competitions more media and spectator friendly, and establishing a strong presence on the Internet. Her passion to develop the sport world-wide is seen in the FIG Commission that is standardizing information in a Coaches’ Education Curriculum to bring gymnastics knowledge and quality in less developed countries to a high international standard.

In her work at Seneca College, she was the driving force behind the multi-discipline gymnastics approach and the development of the College’s Coaching Technique Diploma Program and the Sport Seneca School Program, which combines high-level sport training and academic classes. Many Canadian coaches have graduated from the Coaching Program, and the School Program has consistently produced national and international athletes.

Karin Lofstrom, Executive Director of CAAWS, outlined Corn’s contributions to sport. “Slava is an encouragement for women who aspire to lead in the world of international sport. Her commitment to the sport first at the national level, then internationally, combined with her natural leadership capabilities, offers a role model for women to break through and to take their place at the forefront of international sport federations.”

In presenting the award, Pat Reid, Chair of the COC’s Women in Sport Committee concluded that “Slava Corn’s understanding of the media and the work involved to portray the sport through the medium of television has enhanced its visibility internationally. She has helped to develop coaches and promote development of the sport globally. Her dedication, commitment and innovation have enabled the sport to progress and evolve, both in Canada and around the world. And as we honour the memory of Carol Anne Letheren, who also loved the sport of gymnastics and devoted many years of her life to it, we are delighted to present this award to another outstanding woman leader in the field of gymnastics.”

The award is named in honour of the late Carol Anne Letheren, former CEO of the Canadian Olympic Association. Her career in sport was unique, one of unparalleled distinction. She is remembered for her passion for sport and her ardent advocacy for athletes, youth, for women in sport, and for the values of Olympism. The award is presented every two years, in Olympic Games years. It was first presented in 2002 to Marion Lay of Vancouver, BC.

CAAWS wants to create opportunities for girls and women to be active in sport and physical activity. It encourages them to get out of the bleachers, and onto the ice surfaces, off the sidelines and onto the fields and playing courts, and into the pools, locker rooms and boardrooms. A not-for-profit organization, CAAWS offers a number of services, programs and resources to a variety of clients, including sport and physical activity organizations, teachers, coaches, health professionals and recreation leaders. CAAWS works in close co-operation with government and non-government organizations on activities and initiatives that advocate for positive change for young girls and women in the sport and physical activity communities. Visit www.caaws.ca for more information.

The COC, a private not-for-profit corporation, is the largest private sector funder of high performance sport in Canada. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada's involvement in the Olympic Movement, including Canada's participation in the Olympic and Pan American Games. In addition, the COC manages a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic Movement in Canada through cultural and educational means. For more information, visit www.olympic.ca for the COC website.

Biography – Slava Corn

Family Background

• Slava Anna Corn, born in Czechoslovakia in 1943 and came to Canada in 1951 after fleeing from Czechoslovakia after the Communist Coup
• Jiri George Corn, father studied to become a Chartered Accountant; partner of BDO Dunwoody and maintained a very visible and active ethnic profile as a political activist against communism in Czechoslovakia; received both the Order of Canada in 1987 and the Order of T.G. Masaryk in Czechoslovakia in 1996
• Slava Corn, mother, organized the escape from Prague with two children across the Czech border to flee from the communists and has always been supportive of all the activities the whole family was involved in
• George Corn, brother, is a corporate lawyer and avid sportsman playing hockey up to the present
• Family traditions included speaking Czech, and respecting our ethnic origins, being active leaders in community projects, and respecting other cultures

Education and Professional Career

• Graduated from University of Toronto in 1967 with an Honours BA in languages (Physical Education certification through summer school)
• Taught English and high school physical education in Scarborough from 1967 to 1973 at Agincourt Collegiate Institute and Timothy Eaton Secondary School
• 1973-1980 serviced Scarborough schools as a gymnastics consultant and wrote the original Grades 4-8 school curriculum and lesson plans for gymnastics activities, rhythmics and dance
• 1980 - 1996 became the Chair of Physical Education at Seneca College -- restructuring the Coaching Diploma Program and establishing the Seneca North York Sports Program for talented athletes
• 1996-7 restructured the Sport and Recreation department at Seneca College
• As the Director of Sport and Recreation is currently responsible for all student and community sports programming and facility maintenance at Seneca

Gymnastics Involvement

• Participated as a gymnast and volunteer coach at Sokol Toronto
• Became a gymnastics judge in 1970 and reached an international level; retired from judging in 1985
• 1981-1992 managed men’s and women’s Canadian World Championships teams
• 1970-1980 served as Technical Chair for women’s programs in Ontario
• 1978-1990 served as the Technical Chair at the National level
• 1974-1990 organized sold out, highly successful international gymnastics competitions in Maple Leaf Gardens and the SkyDome, Toronto
• Recruited and developed event volunteers and technical committee members, creating a group of dedicated women who have become leaders in the sport particularly for women’s gymnastics
• 1987 trained with both mother and father to perform group gymnastics routines at the International Sokol Slet held in Zurich with over 5000 participants from around the world
• 1990 became President of the Canadian Gymnastics Federation and worked with the Board of Directors to adopt a corporate organization structure
• 1995-96 was elected as the first Chair of the Board in the new structure
• 1992 was elected as a member of the Executive Committee of the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) working on its Media Commission and developing the Age Group Program and the Academy Coaching Education Programs
• 2000 was elected as the First Vice President of FIG – the first woman to hold this position