Most Influential Women 2008

Carol Assalian, Ottawa, ON
For many years Carol Assalian has provided exceptional leadership in developing sport programs as the Executive Director, Olympic Preparation and Games, Canadian Olympic Committee. Under her guidance, Olympic Preparation has evolved into a strong partnership between the COC, National Sport Organizations, Own the Podium/Road to Excellence. The goal is to bridge the gap between athlete development and Games time performance. This concept played a major role in Canada’s successful performance at the 2008 Beijing Games, increasing our medal count over Athens by fifty percent. Carol is also a key member of the COC’s management team and plays a crucial role in the evolution of both OTP and RTE.

Sylvie Bernier, Rosemère, Quebec
Canada’s first Olympic gold medalist to return as Chef de Mission for an Olympic team, Sylvie Bernier gave inspired leadership to the entire Canadian team at the Beijing Olympic Games. She was only one of 11 women who served in such a position from among the 205 nations. Competing nations. In her role as Chef, she reviewed everything with an athletes’ first attitude, ensuring that their needs were always considered first as transportation, ceremonies, security etc., were planned and reviewed. Bernier took time away from her communications company to fulfill this role, and in addition remained a member of the Quebec executive advisory council for Investors Group and the Quebec Foundation for Athletic Excellence.

Mary Bluechardt, St. John’s, Nfld.
As the only woman on the panel of experts advising Canada’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) strategy, Dr. Mary Bluechardt’s impact on Canadian sport will be felt for many years. The Director, School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University in St. John’s, Newfoundland is renowned for her international development research that has advanced the lives of persons with disabilities through sport. As she gives advice and counsel to the LTAD, which focuses on the general framework of athlete development with special reference to growth, maturation and development, trainability, and sport system alignment and integration, her knowledge of human kinetics and of coaching development will be invaluable to athlete development in Canada.

Robin Brown, Toronto, ON
The host of the award-winning CBC Radio program The Inside Track, for 14 years, Robin Brown has introduced Canada’s women athletes to the nation. At the Beijing Olympic Games this past summer, she provided coverage for Canadian listeners for both The Inside Track and presented hourly reports to CBC Radio's flagship news program World Report. Robin regularly looks beyond the scoreboard and into the issues of sport and the lives of the athletes, choosing to feature stories based on merit rather than gender stereotypes. She understands the contribution women make in the sports world and has instilled that as a value of The Inside Track, providing an insight and awareness of that is unusual in the world of sports journalism.

Slava Corn, Toronto, ON
Breaking into the heavily male-dominated world of international sport federations, Slava Corn provides tremendous leadership in the world of gymnastics. She was re-elected as Vice President of the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) at the FIG 2008 Congress in Helsinki, Finland, and was the FIG delegate at the 2008 Olympic Games. She also served as a member of the IOC team responsible to review the Olympic Results Information System (ORIS). She continues to sit on the Board of Directors of Gymnastics Canada. And,as Director of Sport and Recreation at Seneca College, she has been the driving force behind the development of the Seneca College Coaching Technique Diploma Program and the Sport School Program. This combination of high level academic classes with elite sport training is a unique concept in Canada.

Melody Davidson, Calgary, AB
As Head Coach and General Manager, Melody Davidson will be responsible for guiding Canada’s National Women’s Hockey Team for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, including the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. This NCCP Level 4 certified coach, led Canada to its second consecutive women’s hockey gold medal at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. In 2007, she was named the General Manager of the National Women’s Team Programs, becoming the first woman in the role. She was also the head coach for Canada’s first-ever National Women’s Under-18 Team, winning the silver medal at the inaugural IIHF World Women’s Under-18 Championship, held in Calgary in January 2008.

Abby Hoffman, Ottawa, ON
Abby Hoffman’s passion for girls playing sport continues to burn as fiercely now as it did as a young girl who played hockey with the boys because there was no girls’ team. In 2008 she was honoured by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) at the IV IOC World Conference on Women in Sport in Jordan with the Americas "Women in Sport" Trophy for the Americas. A member of Athletics Canada's Board of Directors (Ex-Officio), and a member of the International Association of Athletics Federations since 1995, she was recognized for her works an IAAF Council Member. She has advocated for equality across female and male competition programmes, and fought for a minimum 20% female representation in all IAAF committees and commissions.

Carol Huynh, Calgary, AB
A virtual unknown until she won Canada’s first gold medal of the 2008 Olympic Summer Games, Carol Huynh’s win in women’s wrestling ignited the Canadian team. With a background in several sports, she chose what was then a non-traditional sport for women; wrestling. As a student at Simon Fraser University, she competed with the men’s team until a women’s team was established. Missing out on a sport on the 2004 team, she competed for another four years to make the 2008 team, and helping out at development camps and clinics for young wrestlers. Since winning gold in Beijing, she has spent a significant portion of her time speaking to young people, encouraging and motivating them to pursue their dreams and goals in sport and in life.

Jujie Luan, Edmonton, AB
Fencing registration has seen a dramatic increase since Jujie Luan competed for Canada at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. The Head Coach of the Edmonton Fencing Club won a gold medal for her native China at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, and returned to China in 2008, this time to compete for Canada at the age of 50. Her passion for fencing and competing has not diminished one bit, and following the Olympic games, she went on to win the women's foil competition at the Veteran World Fencing Championship in Limoges, France. The club in Edmonton reports a remarked increase in registrations, many of them women, who no doubt have been inspired by Jujie’s remarkable performances.

Chantal Petitclerc, Montreal, QC
Winner of the Lou Marsh Trophy in 2008 as Canada’s outstanding athlete, Chantal Petitclerc has had unparalleled success as a paralympic athlete. She concluded her athletic career by capturing five gold medals at the Beijing Paralympic Games, bringing her total to 21 medals over five Paralympic Games. She competed in the T54 class for wheelchair athletes with spinal-cord injuries and amputation and 14 of her Paralympic medals are gold. . She was also the first Paralympian to be named The Canadian Press female athlete of the year since it began in 1933, and in her final games, she proved she was still in a class of her own, establishing two world records.

Sheryn Posen, Toronto, Ontario
For the past several years, Sheryn Posen’s passion for preserving Canada’s sports heritage has kept the dream of a new Sports Hall of Fame alive. Without an actual building, she has introduced the Hall to students through an educational website, videos, and arranged travelling exhibits to bring artefacts to the public. In October of 2008, Calgary was announced as the Hall’s new home, with a commitment from the city to raise $50 million towards the new building, including a $20 million endowment. As COO, Sheryn has been the driving force to ensure Canada’s sports history was preserved when there was no building, and without her dedication and commitment, there would be no new home for future generations to be inspired by Canada’s sporting heroes.

Cathy Priestner Allinger, Vancouver, BC
As the first test event for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games got underway in the fall of 2008, the Executive Vice President - Sport, Paralympic Games and Venue Management for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, Cathy Priestner Allinger could begin to see her many years of work coming to fruition. With the completion of the Richmond Olympic Oval in December 2008, the Vancouver Organizing Committee also fulfilled its commitment to have facilities ready in time to allow Canadian athletes ample training time at the facilities. Throughout 2009, Priesnter Allinger will oversee a series of international events designed to test the facilities, services and programs to ensure the effective operation of the Games in 2010.

Carla Qualtrough, Vancouver, BC
In addition to working at 2010 Legacies Now as Director of Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough is the elected President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) .Highly respected nationally, she also provides a respected voice internationally is a member of the Legal Committee of the International Paralympic Committee, where her insights, perspectives, and advice are sought by leaders at the highest levels. As leader of the CPC, she ensured the voices of Paralympic athletes were heard within their organization through the formation of an Athletes Council. She has also worked diligently to make certain there are sustainable sport legacies for all from the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. In an unprecedented success, she has helped negotiate a guarantee of 10% of any operating surplus of the Games for the CPC.

Sara Renner, Canmore, Alberta
Canada’s Olympic silver medalist Sara Renner, is doing all that she can to bring awareness of the problem, and to find solutions to the growing climate crisis. As a winter sports athlete, she is keenly aware of the effects of global warming, and is using her influence to inspire and encourage others to reverse the impact of climate change. Already working with the David Suzuki Foundation campaign Play it Cool, this year she was trained to be an ambassador for climate change by the Climate Project (TCP) Canada. She also speaks frequently on the issue to groups, and in October, along with her husband, Olympic skier Thomas Grandi, she led 350 other Canadians concerned about the environment on a 20-kilometre recreational cycling trip in support of climate change.

Jane Roos, Toronto, Ontario
Once again Jane Roos continued her to pursue her passion to provide funds for Canadian athletes. Her Canadian Athletes Now Fund (CAN Fund) has raised over millions of dollars to directly assist Canada’s athletes with their training. She continues to find new and creative ways for Canadians to support their Olympic athletes. This year, more 70 elite Canadian athletes, along with 200 volunteers, helped raise a total of $300,000 through its first ever televised auction. The $8 for 08.08.08 Games Challenge helped support athletes at the Beijing Games, as did the campaign for people to donate their own sport number in dollars to the campaign. Many of Canada’s 2008 Olympic medalists paid tribute to the financial support they received from the CAN Fund as vital to their training and development.

Beckie Scott, Panorama, British Columbia
Although now retired from competitive cross-country skiing, Olympic gold medalist Beckie Scott still exerts significant influence in the world of sport. Several national and international sport agencies have sought her out to serve on their boards, including the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games Organizing Committee. A member of the Athletes’ Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, she also sits on the IOC Athletes' Commission. In 2008, she was appointed to the IOC panel monitoring preparations for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. She co-chairs the advisory council of Right to Play Canada, and continues her commitment to her own sport as she embarks on a new role as an ambassador to attract Canadian youth to cross-country skiing.

Marie-Josée Turcotte, Montreal, QC
A highly respected sports broadcaster, Marie-Josée Turcotte has been a long-term anchor woman for Radio-Canada . This 20-year broadcast veteran has covered several provincial, national and international competitions, including the Commonwealth Games, Les Jeux de la Francophonie and five Olympic Games. She hosted L'Univers des sports from 1988 until 1994 and has hosted L'Aventure olympique" since 1999. She was the only woman to anchor broadcast coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Canada. Her calm yet compelling demeanour during sports events is unmatched, and her interviews which always put athletes first is a refreshing approach in television sports.

Helly Visser, Calgary, AB
Active and competitive at the age of 74, Helly Visser mentors other master runners through running camps and weekly training sessions. Radiant and tireless, she trains on the streets of Calgary before travelling to local, national and international competitions. She regualarly breaks her own national and world records, both indoor and outdoor. An advocate for healthy active living, she presents talks and demonstrations to seniors groups and clubs. She i scurrently fundraising and promoting for a proposed Calgary fieldhouse to house 20 sporting associations from athletics to soccer to tennis. This year she participated in We Run, a feature-length documentary scheduled on running, and travelled to Finland to advise Finnish committee on hosting the World Masters Athletics Championships in 2009.

Penny Werthner, Ottawa, ON
As an assistant professor in the School of Human Kinetics at the University of Ottawa, Penny Werthner’s research includes the psychological preparation within the environment of World Championships and Olympic Games. Her research was put into practical application at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Many of Canada’s medalists worked successfully with Werthner in preparation, including Canada's canoe and kayak team, and Canada’s flag-bearer Adam van Koeverden. As she told Canada AM prior to the Games, "There are really two key parts to being well-prepared psychologically and the first is knowing what those factors are. (They need to know) what they need to attend to, what they need to think of, what they need to focus on." With Werthner’s help, athletes were just as prepared mentally for competition as they were physically.

Donna Wilson, Vancouver, BC
The Executive Vice President – Workforce and Sustainability, Donna Wilson is playing a key role in developing the culture of the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Guiding the organization through its major hiring and volunteer recruitment, she is responsible for everything that has to do with people, relationships and its lasting legacy. Her impact will be felt by the over 1,400 paid employees and nearly 25,000 volunteers who will be part of the Games. Implementing the massive hiring process and volunteer recruitment program, she plays a key role in helping define and develop the culture of the organization that will present Canada on the world stage in 2010. The engagement, screening, matching and training of the volunteers will truly make these “Canada’s games”.

Ones to Watch

Canadian Women’s Ski Jump Team
Canadian women were part of the group who managed to draw world-wide attention to their fight to compete at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Ski Jump. They made the venerable International Olympic Committee take notice as they relentlessly pursued all legal options to compete in their sport in Vancouver. Despite the controversy, Nata de Leeuw, Atsuko Tanaka and Katie Willis of the Ski Jump team continued to train and compete on the World Cup circuit. Although Zoya Lynch decided to retire from active competition in October, she continues to be committed to the law suit, which claims the decision to exclude their sport violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. A hearing date of April 20, 2009 has been set for the lawsuit filed in the British Columbia Supreme Court.

Kristi Richards, Pemberton, BC
This 27-year old free-style skier, Kristi Richards was a standout on last season’s FIS Freestyle World Cup circuit, finishing fourth overall. The 2007 World Champions in moguls is determined to give back to the community that supported her. She founded the "Supporting the Dream Legacy Fund" because of the tremendous amount of support and encouragement that she received from her community as she was trying to achieve her dream of representing Canada at the Torino Olympic games. She now wants to see other athletes be supported and have the opportunity to reach their potential. While continuing to compete at the elite level, she also speaks to young people at schools and functions, encouraging them to chase their own dreams.