Leadership Award Winners

•  2004 Recipients                                                               •  1997 Recipients 
•  2003 Recipients                                                               •  1996 Recipients
•  2002 Recipients                                                               •  1995 Recipients
•  2001 Recipients                                                               •  1994 Recipients
•  2000 Recipients                                                               •  1993 Recipients
•  1999 Recipients                                                               •  1992 Recipients
•  1998 Recipients                                                               •  1991 Recipients

Lauren Woolstencroft
Canadian Disabled Alpine Ski Team
Lauren is “Canada’s Paralympic Golden Girl”. She was born missing both legs below the knee and missing her left arm below the elbow but this has never prevented her from participating in the activity of choice. Skiing. Lauren has been a member of the Canadian Disabled Alpine Ski Team since 1998. Since then, she has won over 50 medals in various levels of competition. One of the biggest highlights of her career were the 2 gold medals ad 1 bronze medal that she won at the 2002 Paralympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. As a result of this phenomenal performance, she was named top female athlete of the 2002 Paralympic Games. In 2000, she won 3 golds at the Disabled Alpine World Championships and won the overall Giant Slalom title for that year. Lauren has been profiled on CBC TV’s 2003 Women Warrior’s Program. She is 2 years away from completing her electrical engineering degree from University of Victoria. Lauren volunteers with WarAmps and strives to encourage girls to become involved in sport regardless of their ability.

Leslie Clarke
Canadian Disabled Alpine Ski Team
Leslie Clarke epitomizes the word coaching. She has a Bachelor pf Physical Education Degree from UBC and is certified as a High Level Ski Coach by the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation, NCCP, and the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance. Leslie began her coaching career in 1987 as an alpine ski coach with Whistler Mountain Ski Club. In 1993 she became the Head Coach of the UBC Ski Team where she has coached the team to 4 top-10 US National final results. Since October of 2002 Leslie has been the Assistant Coach and trainer for the Canadian Disabled Ski Team. She is presently 1 of only 2 female coaches employed by Alpine Canada. Leslie is also the owner of Elements Ski Racing Camps at Whistler-Blackcomb. These camps provide opportunities for female coaches and help encourage girls and women to include sport into their lives.

Sarina McKenzie
Women's Only Soccer Camps
Sarina is the President, Head Coach and Program Coordinator for Women’s Only Soccer Camps. This program was established to encourage women of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the sport of soccer and promote overall health and physical fitness. The Women’s Only Camps are a series of sessions designed to teach basic soccer skills to women. The program is geared towards women who have never played the game, those interested in learning a team sport, individuals looking for a fitness alternative and those simply wanting a refresher to the game.

Ron Suzuki 
Strathcona Community Centre
Ron is a Recreation Programmer at the Strathcona Community Centre. His basic duties include organizing and arranging for programs and activities within the Centre and Community at large. Ron ensures that Strathcona provides a diverse set of programs that will meet the needs of the cultural diversity within the community take into consideration each participant’s abilities, gender and age. Ron is one of founding organizers of Vancouver East Sports League, which is a predecessor to MORE sports. This program provides sport opportunities to kids in Vancouver’s poorest communities, Strathcona being one of these. Ron is a strong advocate for equity and has also developed an extremely successful basketball program exclusively for girls and young women.

City of Coquitlam Gender Equity Committee
The Coquitlam Gender Equity Committee was established in 1999 to review implementation of the City’s Gender Equity Policy. The Committee members have been ardent supporters for the attainment of gender equity in sport and physical activity. Their 5 year tenure will continue to inspire staff and community members in Coquitlam to attain gender equity in sport and physical activity and attempt to attain a level playing field for girls and women in the future. Committee Members: Dennis Palmer, Pat Cooper, Alan Patterson, Fiona McQuarrie, Meryl Davies and Darcel Moro.

Ashley Rowe
Nanaimo Canoe and Kayak Club
Ashley has a passion for paddling. She is a NCCP Level III coach with PASI Advanced Diving Certification and Advanced Wilderness First Aid Training. Ashley is the Regional Coach for Sprint Canoe & Kayak for PacificSport and the Nanaimo Canoe and Kayak Club. She has coached paddling skills for high performance sprint paddlers and adventure racers. Ashley’s strong leadership, communication and organizational skills and her love of the sport have inspired her to get involved in numerous activities promoting paddling including Learn to Paddle field trips for 25 Elementary School classes. Ashley hopes to use her diploma in Diploma in Physical Education from Malaspina in combination with the Bachelor of Tourism and Recreation Management she is currently completing to continue to promote the sport and get people outside to play!

Barbara Stewart 
Writer
Barbara is an accomplished author whose works have focused on women in sport. Her first book (1993) she wrote She Shoots…She Scores! A Complete Guide to Girls’ and Women’s Hockey. In 2003 Barbara’s Pen took on Soccer with Women’s Soccer The Passionate Game in collaboration with Helen Stoumbos a former national Canadian World Cup team member. This year she is researching a new book on Canada’s greatest female athletes. Barbara’s books have helped bring the incredible accomplishments of women in sport to the forefront. Through her writing she has been able to help provide young girls and women with access to some incredible female role models and show them what can be achieved.