Patricia Vertinsky

Dr. Patricia Vertinsky is a clear pioneer in gendered sport and health culture. She is regarded as perhaps the most influential thinker and producer in the fields relating to sport studies. As a social and cultural historian her research has focused on the body and its role in society. She is past-president of the North… Read more »

Sue Griffin

As a young girl, Sue could be found on an outdoor rink taking figure skating lessons, on a field playing field hockey, hiding behind the portable during track and field practices or on horseback competing in show jumping at local gymkhanas. Watching Rod Laver compete at Wimbledon as a young teenager led to her love… Read more »

Debbie Cheong

Debbie Cheong embraces active living and has been sharing her passion with women and seniors for over 20 years. She is a community leader with unique programs such as Osteofit, Get Up & Go, and Carefit. These progressive exercise programs engage, motivate, and encourage less active adults to become more socially connected in a playful… Read more »

Jennifer Fenton

Jennifer Fenton has been a consultant in the physical activity and health education field for thirty years. Her career has specialized in the development and delivery of highly successful British Columbia-based healthy school initiatives. Jennifer was instrumental in developing and delivering CAAWS’s On the Move initiative and has published research on girls’ experiences in physical… Read more »

Bryna Kopelow

Bryna Kopelow is a trailblazer who has devoted her life to gender equity and improving BC and Canada’s physical activity systems for girls and women. Co-founder of ProMOTION Plus and past-chair of CAAWS, she developed Action Schools! BC and the Premier’s Sport Awards Program, while authoring numerous publications on physical activity and sport.

Ruth Wilson

Ruth Wilson (d. 1982) was considered BC’s best all-around female athlete throughout the 1940s and 50s. She is best known for her hard work as an athlete and advocate of women’s Basketball.

Roberta “Bobbie” Steen

Roberta Steen (d. 1995) was a dedicated teacher, coach, volunteer, administrator and advocate for women in sport. For the 1994 Commonwealth Games, she successfully lobbied for more sport events for women, resulted in the gender equity beakthroughs that characterized those games and its future policies.

Kathy Newman

Kathy Newman is dedicated to improving the lives of countless individuals with disabilities by removing barriers to participation in sport from the grassroots to the international level. She was integral in the creation of the Bridging the Gap Program and is one of CAAWS 2006 Women of Influence alumni.