The $2500 scholarship, honouring the memory of 18-year-old Stacey Levitt, who was killed by a car while jogging in Toronto three years ago, goes to:
The BC Breakers Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team,
Merima Kostecki of Burnaby, B.C.,
Suzana Macjen of Toronto,
Jennifer Nicholson of Halifax, and
Leanne Wortley of Brampton, Ont..
“This scholarship helps to continue Stacey’s spirit through exposing us to the many young Canadian women who are setting goals and reaching them,” said Stacey’s mother, Cheryl Levitt of Toronto, who, with her husband, Ned, selected the winners from 67 applicants. “We would like all of the applicants to be winners of the scholarships; they are all so deserving, and we wish them luck in their athletic endeavours and in their lives.”
The BC Breakers face constant challenges in their quest for the national wheelchair basketball championship-the high cost of wheelchairs, the lack of other women’s teams in the province, and the lack of administrative support. The team is solely responsible for cross-province communication, organizing tournaments and travel arrangements, and fund raising.
The team plans to use Stacey’s scholarship to support two of their initiatives-the Women’s Development Weekend, a successful program for beginner and junior players, and the BC Breakers Invitational Tournament.
“The nine players on the team-Marni Abbott of Enderby, B.C., Jo-Anne Burleigh, Lisa Metheral, and Shira Golden of Vancouver, B.C., Carrie Linegar of Delta, B.C., Trish Nicholson and Laura Goertz of Richmond, B.C., Kelly Perry of Coquitlam, B.C., and Gina Boratto of Burnaby, B.C.-are excellent role models and the team has been complimented not only for the excellent calibre of their play, but for the spirit of fair play and camaraderie they display, on and off the court,” said coach Tim Frick of Coquitlam.
Eighteen-year-old race walker Merima Kostecki came to Canada from war-torn Sarajevo, Bosnia, two years ago. Determined to overcome the intellectual and emotional challenges of life in a new country, she chose to immerse herself in sport and community activity. Today she competes at the national level and is a dedicated alcohol and drug peer helper at Burnaby Central Secondary School.
“Every time I win a race, I win it not just for myself, but for every friend who was killed in the war and will never be able to experience life and the joys it brings,” said Kostecki, who placed second at the 1998 Canadian Juvenile Track and Field Championships and was on the high school Honour Roll. “My athletic goal is to represent Canada at the Olympic Games and academically, I plan to become a doctor. Stacey’s scholarship will give me financial support to pursue my education.”
Overcoming extraordinary obstacles, Suzana Macjen has built an enviable record of achievement-as a standout member of the University of Toronto women’s volleyball team, as one of only a handful of women studying engineering science, as a dedicated and dependable single parent, and as the survivor of sexual assault by her ex-husband, who was charged and convicted of the crime because Suzana had the courage to speak out. She achieved all of this after arriving in Canada from Slovenia at the age of 17, unable to speak English.
“Suzana’s tremendous personal achievements in volleyball, academics, and her outreach to her community make her an extremely worthy recipient of Stacey’s scholarship,” said her coaches Kristine Drakich and Michelle Brownrigg, both of Toronto. “She is an excellent role model for girls and women, within and outside the world of sport.”
Jennifer Nicholson, a second-year student in human kinetics at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.S., dreams of playing professional soccer and building a career as a physiotherapist. A hard and dedicated worker in everything she undertakes, Nicholson makes time in her busy schedule to work with disabled and underprivileged children.
“I am just getting by with student loans. This scholarship will help to keep me in school to fulfill my academic and my soccer dreams,” she said. “It is crucial that women maintain their identity in sports and in all other areas of life. I love the fact that I am a ‘woman in sport’, pursuing my dreams.”
Leanne Wortley holds down two part-time jobs in order to finance her university studies in geography, recreation, and leisure studies, and to meet her training expenses. She has many goals in life. Academically, she has set her sights on a career in teaching or coaching. Athletically, she is gearing up to compete in the gruelling triathlon and the even more demanding modern pentathlon. As the winner of her high school’s Athlete of the Year award and the Spirit Award, she clearly possesses the traits that make for success.
“Through sport I have many opportunities to meet people, to make new friends, and to set new and challenging goals,” she said. “I’m not always first, but I feel pride in achieving personal goals, being a supporting team member, and encouraging fair play. These are important ideals I have acquired through my positive experiences in sport. As a student athlete, I believe that the scholarship will allow me more flexibility in having time to train and keep up my good marks.”
In announcing the scholarship winners, CAAWS executive director Marg McGregor noted that each young woman displays the personal attributes that set Stacey Levitt apart. “Like Stacey, this year’s recipients are all outstanding role models,” she said. “They recognize the power of sport to enrich women’s lives. They are all making a difference in their communities. By endowing this scholarship, Stacey’s family have chosen a wonderful way to honour her love of the camaraderie and the team work of sport.”
Also supported by the fund is the Stacey Levitt Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding graduating female athlete of Northern Secondary School in Toronto, and a bursary to Outward Bound Canada-Women’s Empowerment Program to assist cancer patients and victims of abuse.
