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BURNS LAKE LADIES 1ST ANNUAL FAST BALL TOURNAMENT

September 5, 6, & 7, 2008

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Women in Sport Awards
The Minerva Foundation for BC Women is seeking nominations. Deadline: September 26th 2008.

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In Her Footsteps Exhibit

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Self Esteem Girl

“Self-esteem isn't everything; it's
just that there's nothing without it.”
Gloria Steinem

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Five CAAWS Affiliated Women Head to Beijing for Olympic and Paralympic Games

July 30, 2008

Ottawa, ON. . . Five women who have been associated with the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) will be involved in significant roles at this summer’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. Two will be involved as technical officials, two with the Canadian team and one will be assisting with media operations.

Betty Dermer-Norris, (Fredericton, NB) who served on the CAAWS Board a few years ago is Director, Team Operations for the Canadian Olympic Committee. She has been working for the last several years to ensure all is in readiness for the Canadian team when it arrives in Beijing. Another former board member, Anne Merklinger (Ottawa, ON), is the Director General of CanoeKayak Canada, and she will be in Beijing as the Press Attaché for the Sprint and Slalom CanoeKayak teams. She will also be the assistant team manager for the sprint team, and is excited about Canada’s athletes heading to the games. “For the first time in twenty years the Canadian Sprint CanoeKayak Team qualified crews in all twelve Olympic events. A phenomenal achievement in itself, qualifying boats for every event is a testament to the strength and depth of Canada’s paddling program.”

Another former board member, Guylaine Bernier (Montreal, QC), will serve as a technical official at both the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games for the rowing competitions. At the Olympics, she has been assigned to be a Member of the Jury of Appeal and the FISA - International Rowing Federation Umpiring Commission Representative. The Jury supervises the work of the 18 international umpires and ensures a smooth technical operation of the event. Rowing will be contested at the Paralympics for the first time. Guylaine will be the President of the Jury and the FISA - International Rowing Federation Umpiring Commission Representative, overseeing all the installations and the operation of the event. She will also be part of giving an International Umpiring Seminar during the games to reconfirm the FISA umpiring licence of the jury members.

Current CAAWS Board member, Moira Lassen (Whitehorse, YT) will be attending her first Olympic Games as an International Technical Official (ITO) in the sport of weightlifting. She is the only technical official selected from Canada, and is only one of 7 qualified women of the 35 ITOs in the sport. She will proudly watch as her daughter Jeane competes for a medal on August 15^th in the 75kg weight category. “Being a female in the male dominated sport of weightlifting is an amazing challenge and having faced thirteen years of those challenges I feel extremely prepared for the Beijing Olympic Games,” said Lassen.

Rounding out the CAAWS associated group is Barb MacDonald (Ottawa, ON) who has served as CAAWS’ Communications Consultant since 2001. She will be working with the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) assigned as an advisor to the media operations team at the National Indoor Stadium, which hosts Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline and the finals of Team Handball. This will be her third Olympic Games working with the organizing committee to ensure smooth working conditions for the journalists who are covering the games.

Executive Director of CAAWS Karin Lofstrom is pleased to see so many Canadian women in leadership roles at these Games. “Canada has an international reputation as a country that develops and promotes women in sport leadership. I am pleased that all of these women who have played a significant role both within CAAWS, and also within their sport and professional activities will be outstanding representatives at the Games.”

The Beijing Olympic Games will take place August 8 – 24, 2008 and the Paralympic Games will run September 6-17, 2008.

-30-

Contact: Karin Lofstrom

Executive Director

613-562-5667 ext. 6043

klofstrom@caaws.ca

Debbie Pyne selected as ProMOTION Plus' President's Awards Recipient for 2008

Former P+ Board member, Deb Pyne was honoured on Mar.5th, 2008 at the annual Sport BC President's Awards as ProMOTION Plus' recipient for 2008. Deb served on our Board from 2002- 2007, as the Secretary, Communications Committee member as well as assisting on policy review and ad-hoc committees.

L-R: Debbie Pyne and P+ Chair, Irene Schell

Debbie is a true advocate for women in sport, evident in her work. She was the Executive Director of the BC Ladies Golf Association for two years (2002 to 2004) and was one of the instrumental people in amalgamating the provincial ladies' and men's golf associations into the BC Golf Association. Debbie was the Managing Director of Player Development & Member Services for the BC Golf Association from 2004 to 2006 and is currently Managing Director of Player Development. Her passion for girls and women in sport comes through in all she does, including advocating for equal berths for girls and boys on the zone teams that attend the BC Summer Games. Debbie's passion for all she does, make her an excellent role model for everyone.

Congratulations Deb and thanks for all your hard work!

2007

Margaret and Helen Callaghan inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame

December 2007

We are very proud to announce that 2007 In Her Footsteps honourees, Margaret and Helen Callaghan were chosen for induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame for 2008. This is a great honour for the sisters and it will undoubtedly be appreciated by all of their friends and family. The induction ceremony will take place on May 29th, 2008 at the 40th Annual Banquet of Champions at the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre.

It has been a banner year for female athletes at the Hall of Fame, with 4 out of the 11 individual inductees and 1 team being women. This is an exciting advancement for women in sport and we commend the selection committee for showing such foresight and leadership.

The women being inducted are: Helen Kelesi (tennis), Allison Sydor (mountain biking), Helen and Margaret Callaghan (baseball) and the 2006-2007 Kelly Scott Curling Team.

For more information visit: http://www.bcsportshalloffame.com

ProMOTION Plus Partners in the BC Olympic & Paralympic Youth Leadership Academy
August 2007
ProMOTION Plus is proud to join 2010 Legacies Now, the Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Association, BC Games Society, BC Disability Sports, BC School Sports, Canadian Olympic Committee, PacificSport and Sport BC as a partner in the BC Olympic & Paralympic Youth Leadership Academy. The Academy is an opportunity for young people to learn about the Olympic movement, Olympic values, individual leadership styles and abilities, and how to tackle projects and issues with teamwork.
The Academy is held bi-annually in conjunction with the BC Winter Games, and the next Academy will be February 21-24, 2008 in Kimberley-Cranbrook.
For more information on the Academy visit: http://www.bcacademy.ca

Sports Officials Canada and Fox 40 recognize Judith Tutty

Sports Officials Canada and Fox 40 International Inc. sponsor an annual National Officiating Awards Program recognizing a male and a female technical official/judge who have made a significant contribution to officiating at the national and international level. The 2007 Fox 40 female honouree is Judith Tutty of Mississauga, ON. Judy has been officiating with Canoe/Kayak and Dragon Boat Racing for 33 years. Since 1973 Judy has officiated at local, provincial and national events in all three sports. Her national record includes every Canadian Sprint Canoe/Kayak national championship since 1979. In 2007 she was the Chief Official at the Canadian Championships held in Regina. Judy was appointed to officiate at 3 Canada Summer Games and the 2005 Pan American Canoe Championships. She holds international officiating accreditation for Canoe/Kayak and for Dragon Boat Racing. She is an outstanding example of the dedication of technical officials to sport in Canada.
For full details

Congratulations Lilo Ljubisic!

LJILJANA LJUBISIC RECEIVES ACADEMY’S DISABLED ATHLETE AWARD

Feb. 6th, 2007

DAPHNE, Ala. – Ljiljana (Lilo) Ljubisic, a five-time Paralympian (1984 to 2000), a six-time Paralympic medalist, the chair of the IPC Athletes Council and a member of the International Paralympic Committee Governing Board, has been honored with the United States Sports Academy’s Juan Antonio Samaranch IOC President’s Disabled Athlete Award. His Excellency Juan Antonio Samaranch and International Olympic Committee President Dr. Jacques Rogge will present Ljubisic with the award during a ceremony on 7 February at the International Olympic Committee headquarters in

Switzerland

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Press Release

2006

CAAWS Most Influential Women for 2006

Congratulations to the 4 British Columbian women who were selected for the CAAWS list of the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity for 2006! They are: Kathy Newman, Executive Director - BC Wheelchair Sports Association; Silken Laumann, author and children’s advocate; Allison McNeill, women’s basketball coach; and Carla Qualtrough, President - Canadian Paralympic Committee. The list recognizes women who have made a significant impact as athletes, administrators, advocates, Board members, coaches, executives, officials, policy makers and volunteers.

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NEWS RELEASE
Girls Only Program profiled in Prince George Citizen

by SCOTT STANFIELD, Citizen staff
A unique new sports program designed for mothers and daughters starts up at the end of the month in Prince George. The purpose of the program — dubbed the Moms and Daughters Sport Program — is to give women and girls of all ages a chance to enjoy sports together, be it in a gymnasium or on the trails at the Otway Nordic Centre.
"It just very much appealed to me, and I thought, ‘We have such a variety of sporting opportunities here in Prince George,’" said Leona Wilkins, a student at the College of New Caledonia who has organized the program along with CNC athletics co-ordinator Ann Oishi.
"All you need is a couple of people to get together and go do that. And it seems that co-ed sports, often women shy away because it’s competitive or they feel shy, or there are other inhibitions regarding co-ed sports.
(This will) allow women to have an opportunity to participate in sports."
The program will run at various locations where female instructors will lead activities such as badminton, judo, boxing, curling, cross-country skiing, gymnastics, kayaking and nia. The latter combines elements of tai-chi, yoga and dance.
"Sometimes taking a single course might be too much, but this way, with a sampler of sports activities, it could rekindle good memories of an old favourite sport, or just develop new favourite sports for women that maybe haven’t had a chance to explore that option yet," Wilkins said.
The program is a partnership between CNC, the YMCA of Prince George, ProMOTION Plus and the B.C. Recreation and Parks Association. The non-profit ProMOTION Plus is a provincial organization for girls and women in physical activity and sport while the BCRPA earmarks funds specifically for inactive girls and women.
The first session of the Moms and Daughters Sport Program is from 9:30 to
11 a.m. on Sunday, Jan. 28, at the Family Y.
The program runs until March 18. Cost is $20 for mother/daughter teams.
There are no age restrictions. Register at the Family Y.

Tricia Smith Receives Carol Anne Letheren Award
Honoured for Excellence in International Sport Leadership

QUÉBEC CITY, Friday, April 28, 2006 – Tricia Smith of Vancouver, whose career spans more than 30 years of involvement in sport as a competitor and volunteer leader, is the third recipient of the Carol Anne Letheren International Sport Leadership Award. The award was announced today during the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) Congress in Quebec City.

This award, established by the COC and the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS), honours Letheren’s legacy both in Canada and internationally. A former International Olympic Committee Member and CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Letheren made an outstanding contribution in the area of international sport leadership and had a profound impact on sport and physical activity.

“Tricia is a dynamic example of an athlete who has chosen to continue giving back to sports beyond the competitive venue,” said Phyllis Berck, past chair of CAAWS. “She has not been content to merely sit back on a Board or a Committee, but she has taken on a leadership role in nearly every organization she has served. She leads by encouraging others in their areas of responsibility, with a quiet persuasive style, yet never losing sight of achieving specific objectives. And, she has constantly worked to bring women, and women’s issues to the attention of organizations at the provincial, national and international levels.”

Chris Rudge, CEO of the COC, applauded Tricia Smith’s role as an ambassador for Canada. “Tricia commands the greatest respect at a national and international level in sport due to her vast experience and knowledge. She is widely respected as a loyal champion for athletes because she always places their needs first. As we honour Carol Anne Letheren's legacy, we are delighted to partner with CAAWS to present this award to someone who leads by example and is a role model for other women in sport.”

Smith, a four-time Olympian in rowing, started her Olympic career at the 1976 Olympic Summer Games in the first-ever Olympic regatta for women. She was on Canada’s first medal-winning team at the 1977 World Championships. Among her notable achievements, she won seven World Championship medals, a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic Games, and a gold medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games.

These significant athletic achievements are more than matched by her contribution to and impact on sport and particularly women in sport. She co-founded and co-chaired Rowing Canada’s first Athletes’ Advisory Council with the goal of providing athlete input into the decision-making of the organization. Smith was also a member of the first Athletes’ Advisory Council of the Canadian Olympic Committee.

Shortly after retiring from rowing following the 1988 Olympic Games, she became a member of the Board of Rowing B.C., beginning her prolific career as a volunteer in sport.

The past chair of Sport BC and a past Board member of the Commonwealth Centre for Sport Development (now Pacific Sport), she was also the BC government’s appointee to the BC Advisory Council on Drugs and Sport and she worked with Sport Medicine BC to design drug testing protocols.

Smith is a Partner at Barnes Craig & Associates, managing claims for liability insurers, providing risk management consulting and acting as an Arbitrator on a variety of sport issues. She currently provides leadership in sport as a member of:

- the Executive Committee of the International Rowing Federation (FISA);

- the Executive Committee of the Canadian Olympic Committee;

- the Board of the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS);

and a volunteer on numerous other Boards.

Smith was recently named as Chef de Mission for the Canadian Team at the Pan American Games in 2007.

The award is presented every two years, in Olympic Games years. It was first presented in 2002 to Marion Lay of Vancouver. In 2004, it was presented to Slava Corn of Toronto.

CAAWS wants to create opportunities for girls and women to be active in sport and physical activity. It encourages them to get out of the bleachers, and onto the ice surfaces, off the sidelines and onto the fields and playing courts, and into the pools, locker rooms and boardrooms. 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 for young girls and women in the sport and physical activity communities. Visit www.caaws.ca for more information.

The Canadian Olympic Committee is a national, private, not-for-profit organization committed to sport excellence. It is responsible for all aspects of Canada's involvement in the Olympic movement, including Canada's participation in the Olympic and Pan American Games and a wide variety of programs that promote the Olympic Movement in Canada through cultural and educational means. For more information see the COC website: www.olympic.ca

ProMOTION Plus nominates Sandra Friedman for 2006 Sport BC President's Award

ProMOTION Plus is proud to have nominated Sandra Friedman for a 2006 President’s Award. Sandra was a ProMOTION Plus board member for 7 years from 1997 to 2004. She was a co-chair for one year and was on the Executive Committee from 1998 to 2004. ProMOTION Plus would like to recognize Sandra for her continuing dedication to the organization, its vision and ideals and for her passion and commitment to improving the lives of girls and women. Sandra is an educator, therapist and consultant on issues such as the treatment and prevention of eating disorders. She has spent much of her adult life promoting healthy lifestyles through her writing and providing her expertise to organizations such as ours. ProMOTION Plus would like to honour Sandra for her unique perspective and important contributions.
Sandra was presented with her award by ProMOTION Plus Chair Irene Schell at the Presidents' Awards Ceremony on March 8th, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency Vancouver

Female athletes don't need to be protected, they need to grow

By GWEN KNAPP
San Francisco Chronicle
16-FEB-06

TURIN, Italy -- The Canadians scored 16 goals to crush the women on Italy's national hockey team on Saturday. Then they turned the calendar back 86 years to defend them.

"If you look at the scores of the men's game in the 1920s, there were some 30-0 games," said Vicky Sunohara, a forward for the defending Olympic champions.

She did her homework pretty well. In 1920, the year of hockey's debut in the Winter Games, the United States rang up a 29-0 win over the Swiss and Canada beat the Czechs 15-0. Four years later, Canada beat the Swiss 33-0 and Czechoslovakia 30-0. There were only two genuine contenders among the men, just as there are for women today.

"We just hope people will be as patient with us as they were with the men when they started," Canadian coach Melody Davidson said.

Full Story Here

2005

FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF WOMEN SPORT LEADERS
November 22, 2005
By Wendy Long

VANCOUVER – Inspirational women in sport will now have a place of their own at the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Leaders in sport, recreation and health gathered at the Hall on November 22 to celebrate the launch of a new exhibit set to recognize the achievements and contributions of women to sport in British Columbia. In Her Footsteps…Celebrating B.C. Women in Sport, will annually document and commemorate the stories and achievements of up to three women, chosen by a selection committee, who have made a significant contribution to sport.

Event Photo Gallery: (photographer Teri Snelgrove)
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Congratulations to ProMOTION Plus Victoria on their 4th Annual Fundraiser/Golf Tournament for ProMOTION Plus and KidSport

June 2, 2005
The fundraiser was a resounding success raising $7576.00 for the two organizations, 22% more than last year. The money will be split between KidSport and proMotion plus of Greater Victoria. Some of the dollars raised will support two female delegates to the YM-YWCA'sYoung Women's Leadership Development conference and the Olympic Youth Leadership Academy.
A big thanks to all the volunteers to made this event possible. Many thanks also to KidSport Board member Heidi Lee who chaired the event and to ProMOTION Plus's Sandy Clarke for her leadership and coordination of the registration process which went incredibly smoothly. It was a superb team effort that produced great results for a best yet event.
(Patti Hunter and Alison Ducharme, co-chairs of ProMOTION Plus Victoria)

ProMOTION Plus at the August IAPESGW Conference in Edmonton

August 24, 2005

Over 200 women from 30 different countries gathered in Edmonton from August 10 - 13 at the International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women World Congress (IAPESGW) to share their experiences and expertise in the areas of women in sport and physical education leadership.

The congress delegates attended workshops and paper sessions within the themes of Coaching, Leadership, Policy and Practice, Sport Development and Gender.

2010 Legacies Now President and CEO, Marion Lay, presented a keynote entitled “Strategy Is Always the Struggle To Move Forward” where Lay passionately discussed her personal journey of leadership in sport and offered valuable advise to a new generation of Women in Sport.

“To make a difference, in my mind, we must be positive . . . we must believe that tomorrow will be better than today . . . we must encourage others to believe that success is truly attainable. Then, in my mind, we will put our values into action; create a new vision for women in sport – our future – our legacy,” said Lay. Lay encouraged the women at the congress to become leaders and to take action in developing more opportunities for women in leadership roles. “I see a legacy that embraces a civil society that respects diversity, provides opportunity for all, celebrates women as participants and leaders, and promotes and values a healthy, active, sustainable society,” continued Lay.

2010 Legacies Now and their partners including VANOC, ProMOTION Plus and the British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health presented a workshop entitled “Influencing Policy and Practice”. At this session the 2010 Women’s Sport Inclusion Strategy was introduced to the international audience while showcasing the success of the strategy through partnerships. More information on this session and the 2010 Women’s Sport inclusion strategy can be found in the

IOC president Jacques Rogge said Friday he was jealous of the way track and field promotes women and integrates them into the leadership of the sport. Poland's Irena Szewinska, a three-time Olympic sprint champion, was elected Wednesday to the executive council of the International Association of Athletics Federation, which now has a mandatory quota of three women on the 28-member council and plans to increase it further in two years. Rogge said the International Olympic Committee was not showing a good example by having only one woman on its 15 member executive board.

``We have to do what the IAAF is doing. I will try to do what they are achieving in having more women in our ruling bodies,'' Rogge said after a meeting with the IAAF Council. ``I was jealous of the achievements of the IAAF in women in sport and the position of women in senior leadership.'' During the meeting, the IAAF pushed Rogge to include the women's steeplechase in the Olympics, an event which is premiering at the world championships on Saturday.

The IAAF seeks full gender balance in events and has introduced women's pole vault and hammer throw over the last decade. The women's pole vault especially has become one of the most popular events at track meets. The IOC is seeking to contain the number of events on the crowded Olympic calendar and Rogge could not commit to have the women's steeplechase included even if it would improve gender equality. Over the past 25 years, the percentage of women athletes at the Olympics has improved from 18 to 44.

Women playing, but men still coach: Gender inequality in sport mars any progress
The Edmonton Journal,Sunday, August 14th, 2005.
Page: C1 / Front
Section: Sports
John MacKinnon

What are they teaching the young people at university these days? The question struck home on a visit to the International Association of Physical Education and Sport for Girls and Women World Congress at the University of Alberta on Saturday. Quickly scanning the Gateway between workshops, a visitor was startled by this student newspaper headline: "Gender equity achieved -- let's move on."

One would be tempted to party on, dudes, to celebrate the glad tidings if there weren't such overwhelming evidence that, like racism and poverty, gender inequality hasn't been licked just yet, in many of life's arenas, certainly not sport.

For example, the Brazilian women's soccer team won a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, then returned home to find their program dropped. Not a fate the up-and-coming Ronaldos of Brazil need to worry about.

It's 2005, 33 years after Title IX legislated equal access to sports programs for males and females in the U.S. school system, yet of 918 athletic directors at Division I NCAA schools, just 168 are female. Of those, nine are African-American women, noted Leah Robinson, a doctoral candidate at Ohio State University who spoke at a morning workshop on barriers to women in sport.

Robinson added that African-American women often face the "double-whammy" -- race and gender discrimination. Title IX itself has become a target under the administration of President George W. Bush, not noted as a progressive thinker on issues of gender equity.

"The public thinks the work is done because they see people in the fields (of play)," said Karin Lofstrom, the executive director of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS). "In every league there are girls playing, but what's not seen is the people behind the scenes -- the coaches, the officials, the women in decision-making roles.

"In Canada, the stats are similar to the U.S. About 11 per cent of national teams in Canada are coached by women."

Marion Lay, the former Olympic swimmer and president and CEO of 2010 LegaciesNow, an offshoot of the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC), reframed the concept of the glass ceiling in a more precise and powerful way.

"She said she preferred to think of it in one of two ways -- either as a thick male or many men there that are blocking the way," said Dru Marshall, associate dean, academic at the U of A's Department of Physical Education and Recreation. "The young women coming up have this wonderful confidence it's not going to be a factor for them, that they can do anything they want to do. They don't recognize the systemic barriers that are going to be there to prevent them."

Which is not to deny that progress has been made. For instance, the Athens Olympics set a record for female participation, with 4,412 women competing, 40.6 per cent of the 10,864 athletes. By contrast, 1,247 female athletes -- 20.7 per cent -- competed at the Summer Games in Montreal in 1976. "But we do still see gaps in terms of participation of women in the field versus their presence in key leadership roles where they can impact decision-making," said Charmaine Crooks, a former 400- and 800-metre runner for Canada, now a Canadian Olympic Committee executive board member. "We can't get complacent about the role women have to play in sport."

Crooks, who sits on two International Olympic Committee commissions, said Canada is one of the more progressive countries in this regard, which is not to say equality is at hand here, either. At VANOC, for example, 58 per cent of the 124 employees are women and four of eight vice-presidents are female. But just six of the 20-member VANOC board are women and two members of the nine-person executive committee are female.

Marshall, who was presented Saturday with CAAWS's Marion Lay Award for her positive impact on female sport over a 21-year coaching career, said Canada has had a gender-equity policy since 1986 "and we're still talking about it." She believes female coaches moving up through the sports systems need to be educated about the career obstacles women face. "Those coaches maybe don't get that they've got some responsibilities," Marshall said. "Coaches like me that have been in the system for a long time recognize how many shoulders we're standing on, how many women have gone before us to create inroads."

Crooks and Marshall and many more like them continue to create inroads. They're moving forward, not movin' on.

inclusion section of the 2010 Legacies Now website.

New York City Marathon to give top female $37,000 more than male winner

The Vancouver Sun, Wed. 15 Jun 2005
Page: A1 / Front, Section: News
Byline: Larry DiTore
Source: Bloomberg

NEW YORK -- This year's New York City Marathon will award its women's champion $37,000 Cdn more than its men's winner, which may be the first time a sports event pays more to a woman than a man in the same competition.

"It's a stunning gesture to bring recognition and reward to female athletes who in the past have been shortchanged," said Donna Lopiano, head of the New York-based Women's Sports Foundation. The women's winner in the Nov. 6 race will receive $162,822 Cdn, the extra $37,000 coming from race sponsor ING Groep NV, the Netherlands' largest financial-services company, through its Run for Something Better program. The money also represents the largest first prize for any marathon.
"We are breaking new ground not only in the sport of long-distance running but in all of sport," said Mary Wittenberg, president of New York Road Runners, the 40,000-strong club that organizes the race. "The sport of running-track and field has been a trend-setter in offering greater opportunity for women, and this is the next logical step," said Paul Swangard, managing director of the University of Oregon's Warsaw Sports Marketing Center. Men and women rarely compete in the same event at the highest levels, but where they do, women have been closing the prize money gap.

At two of the four Grand Slam tennis events, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open, the men and women champions earn the same money. Wimbledon and the French Open maintain their women's prizes fractionally below that of the men's, one of their arguments being that the men play five sets, while the women play three. That argument appeared to carry some weight this year. Rafael Nadal earned the equivalent of $1.37 million Cdn for his French Open triumph over Mariano Peurta in a three-hour, 24-minute final. Justine Henin-Hardene pocketed $1.38 million Cdn for a mismatch against Mary Pierce in a final that was all over in two sets.

In tour golf, where men and women do not play in the same events, there is still a large gap in prize money. The winner of this weekend's men's U.S. Open will collect $1.4 million Cdn, while the winner of the women's U.S. Open later in the summer will earn $696,308 Cdn. Lopiano said she believes men and women should receive the similar amounts if they're competing in the same event.

TOP DOLLARS:
How the women's and men's prize money compares in big sports events -- and which women won most recently.

2005
New York Marathon
women $130,000
men $100,000
2005
U.S. Open tennis
women $1 million

men $1 million
2005
French Open tennis
men 880,000 euros
women 867,000 euros
2005
U.S. Open golf
men $1.125 million
women $556,000
2005
Canadian Open golf
men $756,000
women $195,

Congratulations to Marion Lay for her induction into the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

Marion Lay has been the driving force behind the first-ever inclusion of a gender-equity clause in the Olympic Bid Book. In September 2003, Marion was named by the City of Vancouver as one of its two representatives to the board of the Organizing Committee for the Olympics Games (OCOG). OCOG will be responsible for all aspects of planning and organizing the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. A direct result of her work has been the increased number of sports and events for women in the Olympic Games.

Marion Lay has also served on numerous volunteer boards throughout the sport community. The President of the 2010 LegaciesNow Society, she has been involved with the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Bid Corporation since 1998. Her influence led the Bid and its Member Partners to promote Canada’s progressive policy on women in sport by working with Canadian women and sport leaders to develop the 2010 Women in Sport Strategic Framework. This farsighted document will add momentum to efforts to strengthen the Olympic Movement’s commitment to equality far beyond the 2010 Games. The framework will ensure women are recruited to the Board of Directors and all other Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOG) decision-making bodies, Work Groups and a formal Woman in Sport Work Group will be established.

Marion is the founder and past chair of the board of the PacificSport National Sport Centre, Greater Vancouver, past co-chair of the British Columbia Games Society, a founding member and past chair of CAAWS and a founding member of WomenSport International (with members in 30 countries around the world). She is the president of Think Sport Ltd., a Vancouver-based sport management and consulting firm that specializes in event management, program planning, and evaluation and gender equity education.

Charmaine Crooks and Tricia Smith join the COC
New members were elected to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) at the organization’s elections. Each member will serve a four-year term from 2005-2008. Two of the new members elected to the COC Executive included two British Columbia women; Charmaine Crooks and Tricia Smith.

· Charmaine Crooks of Vancouver, a five-time Olympian in Athletics and silver medallist in the 4X400m relay at the 1984 Olympic Games, who has served in various roles with the COC, the IOC and VANOC.

· Tricia Smith, a Vancouver-based lawyer who is a four-time Olympian in Rowing and 1984 Olympic silver medallist. She has served in various capacities with the COC, VANOC, the International Rowing Federation and the International Council of Arbitration for Sport. In addition to her election to the COC Executive Tricia Smith has also been selected as the Chef de Mission for the Canadian team at the 2007 Pan American Games.

April 12, 2005 Host Communities Chosen for 2008 and 2010 BC Games Cranbrook, Kelowna, Terrace and the Township of Langley have been chosen to host the 2008 and 2010 BC Winter and BC Summer Games. The 2008 BC Winter Games will be hosted by the communities of Kimberley and Cranbrook with the 2008 BC Summer Games taking place in Kelowna. The 2010 BC Winter Games will take place in Terrace and the Township of Langley will host the 2010 BC Summer Games. “The BC Games Society received high quality bids from these communities, as well as many others. We know that each community chosen will provide a tremendous celebration of sport and community spirit for our young athletes,” said Wendy Ladner-Beaudry, Co-Chair of the BC Games Society. Minister Les added, “As British Columbians prepare for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, BC Games host communities will be working to provide opportunities to the next generation of Olympians and Paralympians.” Thousands of BC’s developing athletes, with an average age of 14-15 years, compete at the BC Games. Held since 1978, the BC Games are the largest multi-sport events in BC and feature competitions in 22 winter sports and 25 summer sports including badminton, skiing, lacrosse, and sailing. www.bcgames.org March 4, 2005 - IWF Abolishes Gender Testing The IWF has abolished gender testing for women. Bylaw 5 was eradicated in it's entirety. Please note the Junior World Championshipswill be the first international competition with this new rule. Please visit www.iwf.net for more information.


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