Jessica Dunkley, Ottawa, Ontario – Alpine Skiing / Backcountry Touring / Cycling
Vickie Flood, St. John’s, Newfoundland – Tennis
Glenna Fraumeni, Toronto, Ontario – Running / Swimming
Wilma Shim, Edmonton, Alberta – Powerlifting
Holy Angels High School, Sydney, Nova Scotia – Girls Rugby
After reviewing the applications, and making the final selection, Cheryl Levitt was touched by the wide range of worthy applicants. “Congratulations to our 2008 recipients. We would like to wish you all the best and may your hopes and dreams come alive in the years ahead. Thank you for sharing your stories with us. It was once again wonderful to read about the talents and accomplishments of these girls and women. Stacey had a great love of life and sport. Although it has been 13 years since Stacey passed away, these stories allow her spirit to live on.”
Janice Forsyth of Edmonton, Alberta, Chair of the CAAWS Board of Directors, is pleased to see such a wide range of community contributions from the four individuals and the team who have been selected. “This is the 12th year that we have worked with the Levitt family to honour their remarkable daughter by recognizing and encouraging others. It is especially gratifying this year to see that sport has been such an integral part of the lives of all of these women, and that they are also continuing their education and their involvement in sports. We encourage them in their leadership as part of the rich community life that sport, physical activity and education provide across our country.”
Jessica Dunkley, Ottawa, Ontario
Originally from Vancouver, Jessica Dunkley is a 3rd year medical student at the University of Ottawa. Jessica comes from a unique family background; both she and her parents are Deaf. She uses American Sign Language (ASL) when communicating with her family, developed English speaking skills as a child attending the Vancouver Oral Center, and is capable in Langue des Signes Québécoise (LSQ).
A graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Sciences in Physical Therapy, she served as Team Canada’s physiotherapist for the 2007 Deaflympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. While studying physiotherapy, she realized she had the potential and passion to attend medical school. She saw how the Deaf Community was lacking a physician who was culturally and linguistically sensitive to the needs of the Deaf, especially in regards to Indigenous Deaf people. With only one Deaf physician in Canada, she is anxious to help fill the serious shortage of health care professionals who use ASL and can serve the Deaf Community holistically.
Jessica is an all round athlete participating in several sports. She represented Canada at the World Winter Games for the Deaf in Alpine Skiing. In her free time, she believes in being physically active. She is currently training for triathlons, placing 7th overall in the Subaru Vancouver International Sprint Triathlon and hopes to complete a half-ironman this year.
Vickie Flood, St. John’s, Newfoundland
An all round athlete in high school, Vickie Flood played soccer, badminton and softball but her specialty was tennis. She was undefeated in Newfoundland in both the junior and adult categories as well as Atlantic Female Junior Champion for a number of years. She was ranked as high as top 15 in singles in Canada and top 8 in doubles. She was the Newfoundland Female Athlete of the Year in 2002 and declined several university scholarship offers to stay in Newfoundland and attend Memorial University. She graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Recreation (Honours) degree and is currently enrolled in the Master of Physical Education program. Her thesis is focused on studying flow (optimal arousal) among competitive tennis players.
A Nationally Certified level 3 coach, she has given back to the community by managing and coaching the Canada Games tennis team and other tennis players within the province as well as teaching tennis to the physically and mentally disabled and the learning disabled. She works with private and public tennis clubs to increase and sustain tennis participation and has assisted in the design and implementation of various recreation programs for the senior population throughout the city.
Vickie plans on using her bursary towards her Master’s Research along with helping individuals of all ages reach their maximum potential in sports and physical activity province-wide.
Glenna Fraumeni, Toronto, Ontario
A second-year health care student at Ryerson University and the University of Toronto, 23 year-old Glenna Fraumeni has made physical activity and healthy living a well-integrated part of her life. She has participated in a wide variety of endurance sporting events including a 750 km paddle up the Yukon River and numerous Ultra Marathons. Glenna is beginning to make her mark on the Ultra running community as she was the youngest and first finisher at the 50-mile Baker Trail event in August 2007, one week after finishing first in her age group at a 13-mile assent race in the Colorado mountains. This month, Glenna will once again compete with her school’s cross country program at both the provincial and national level.
Glenna is also an active lifeguard and swimming instructor. She passionately strives to create an inclusive environment for children and youth of all abilities both in the water and in life. Glenna plans to use this scholarship towards her education with the goal of one day having the opportunity to promote and practice barrier-free healthy living and heath care services.
Wilma Shim, Edmonton, Alberta
Wilma Shim is entering her second year of Law School at the University of Calgary. While completing her B.Sc. in Kinesiology on a Chancellor Club Scholarship, she took up Powerlifting (Squat, Benchpress, and Deadlift) after years of competing in volleyball, badminton, track & field, kung fu and tae kwon do.
A National Champion in both tae kwon do and kung fu, Wilma has also won six consecutive city titles and a provincial silver medal in women’s singles for badminton. Her diverse athletic background made for an easy transition to the strength sport of powerlifting. In 2007, she represented Canada at the World Junior Powerlifting Championships and won a bronze medal in the deadlift, lifting 297 pounds.
Highly motivated, Wilma has been involved in her community as a Special Olympics coach for powerlifting. She would like to develop a powerlifting program specific to females and encourage a positive attitude towards female strength. She plans to use her legal training to support and advocate for individuals with physical and mental disabilities.
Holy Angels High School, Sydney, Nova Scotia
Holy Angels Girls Rugby team is a group of young educated women who come together during the school year to learn about the game of rugby, get exercise, and have fun together while participating.
One of the main reasons so many girls love the sport is that rugby is a game that everyone can play and enjoy no matter what their skill or ability level. The girls go to practice, do the drills and exercises put before them all as a team. Holy Angels Rugby motto is “Every-thing is done as a team, no one is left behind”. The girls take this to heart every year and not only do they play the sport together but they also take the time to learn about each other and become good friends. The girls who play this sport say there is nothing like it (on or off the field) and they would not change the experience for anything in the world!!!
