Meagan Beauchamp, Red Deer, Alberta
Amy Beck, Montague, Prince Edward Island
Natalie Galan, Calgary, Alberta
Kristin Hayes, Markham, Ontario
Stacey Nahachewsky, Corman Park, Saskatchewan
As always, Cheryl Levitt was touched by the wide range of worthy applicants. “We recognize and appreciate the impressive applications – the hard work that went into preparing them and the amazing accomplishments of each applicant. This was a very difficult decision as usual. I wish that we could award each young woman Stacey’s scholarship, and we wish every one who applied success in their future goals and dreams.”
Theresa Harvey Pruden of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Chair of the CAAWS Board of Directors, is pleased to see such remarkable contributions from the five recipients, who range in age from 18 to 22. “This is the 10th year CAAWS has been honoured to be associated with the
Levitt family, and the Stacey Levitt Scholarship. It is a strong partnership because it honours one remarkable young women, and recognizes and encourages others. This year’s recipients have already contributed so much to their communities and are serving as strong role models for the young girls whose lives they touch. We are delighted that they have been recognized with this scholarship and look forward to their continued leadership in both sport and community life.”
The 2006 individual recipients
Meagan Beauchamp, Red Deer, Alberta
Twenty-year old Megan Beauchamp will begin studying Kinesiology at Red Deer College this fall. She expresses her passion for sports through rock climbing, as well as other mountain outdoor activities, including cross-country skiing and biathlon. Her love of climbing began with an introduction during a Grade 9 Phys. Ed. Class and she has since taken up the sport seriously. She also gives time back to others, by helping coach a novice lacrosse team, and helping with community activities. She has been a Royal Canadian Air Cadet for six years, and has received all three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold, of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Sidelined by a variety of injures for the past two years, she is excited to be able to begin training again for competitive rock climbing this summer. The Red Deer native plans to use the scholarship funds to pursue her goal of completing a Masters degree in physical therapy.
Amy Beck, Montague, PEI
Sports have had a life-ling influence on Amy Beck, who will start her third year of studies at the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown, this fall. Throughout her junior and senior high school years Amy played soccer, basketball, badminton, and represented her schools at provincial cross country and track and field events. She earned top honours as female athlete of the year in grades 9, 11, and 12.This 20 year-old has always found time to give back to the sporting community, from organizing a free-of-charge indoor soccer skills school for grade six and seven students in her hometown to coaching summer soccer. While studying hard to maintain a full academic scholarship, she plays soccer year round in the PEI Senior Women’s Premiere League, and still finds time to coach young girls throughout the year, in basketball and soccer. She plans to use the money from the scholarship to replace the mismatched soccer jerseys currently worn by the soccer team she coaches, the Eastern Eagles U16 Girls Premier team in PEI.
Natalie Galan, Calgary, Alberta
Since Natalie Galan began wrestling five years ago, she has become dedicated to sport, and to maintaining an active lifestyle. She has progressed rapidly from her days as a novice wrestler, and this year won her first national title, Juvenile Female National Champion in the 56kg weight class. In addition to wrestling out of the University of Calgary’s Junior Dino Wrestling team, she participated on her high school swim, track and cross-country teams.
She was also this year’s recipient of the Tim Inkster Award, presented by the Calgary Booster Club, honouring her for ability in the sport of wrestling, community involvement and academic ability. It was the first year this award was presented. An honour student, and an aspiring Olympic wrestler, the 18 year-old begins Kinesiology studies at the University of Calgary this fall. She plans to use the scholarship to support her training with the varsity wrestling team.
Kristin Hayes, Markham, Ontario
Despite being born with a difficult disease, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, also known as Brittle Bones, 22 year-old Kristin Hayes is an active, competitive synchronized swimmer. Introduced to synchronized swimming twelve years ago, she swam competitively after only two years in recreational. She wants to share her passion for sport with other young women, especially those with a disability, as it offers fitness, physiotherapy in disguise, socialization and above all pride in self as personal goals are challenged. Her dream is to see synchronized swimming become a Paralympic sport, and to compete for Canada. Active in her community, she delivers presentations at schools and rehabilitation centres to create awareness of the opportunities in sports and recreation available to people with disabilities and volunteering with Students for Literacy, Best Buddies and at Toronto Rehab. The resident of Markham is entering her final year at the University of Toronto, studying psychology and linguistics to pursue a career in speech-language pathology. She plans to use the scholarship to create a video to highlight and summarize the benefits and possibilities of synchronized swimming for all women regardless of disability.
Stacey Nahachewsky, Corman Park, Saskatchewan
Actively involved in many sports throughout her 18 years, including soccer and track and field, Stacey Nahachewsky fell in love with sprint kayaking. She has competed at many national events, and now competes successfully at the international level. She placed 7th as a member of the Marathon Junior Worlds Kayaking team. While training four hours every day, and working evenings and weekends, she still maintained a high academic average – over 90% and finished high school a semester early. Her sports involvement has helped her build self-confidence, and, along with her personal enthusiasm, has inspired family members, friends and co-workers to develop healthier habits and more positive attitudes. She hopes other young women, including those she helps in the community, are inspired by her story to develop a healthy sport-filled lifestyle. She will begin studies this fall at the University of Saskatchewan, and plans to use the scholarship money towards her tuition and training costs.
CAAWS wants to see more girls and women participating and leading in sport and physical activity. 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 and gender equity for young girls and women in the sport and physical activity communities.
