Written by: Diana Chang
This International Women’s Day, Squash BC hosted their third annual Women in Leadership Conference. This time, we invited friends across sport and other industries to help celebrate women in our community, igniting inspiration, vulnerability, and action. It always take a village and DCC is proud to stand with sponsors, Pacific Sport Fraser Valley, Minerva BC, BC Women and Sport, Sport BC, Underhill Geomatics Ltd., and Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club.
Enjoy this summary highlight from the event:
Our opening keynote, Emma Gibbons, CEO of Volleyball BC, encouraged us to be open to possibility, to surround yourself with people and spaces that empower, because ultimately, the personal is political, and our voices have power to shape change. 20 years ago, she had no idea her one way ticket from the UK to Vancouver would launch her into the world of sport. She hasn't looked back since. Thanks for helping us set the stage, Emma!
Next, Tina Strehlke, CEO of Minerva BC, walked us through the Mentor to Advocate Continuum (mentor-strategizer-connector-opportunity giver-advocate), encouraging us, at every stage, to take an active role, to ask, and to pay it forward. Radical candor through feedback is requisite of any mentee-mentor relationship, and it's always a two-way street. "A Coach talks to you, a Mentor talks with you, a Sponsor talks about you [positively]." Tina engaged us in an interactive group activity, Insights Circle, where individuals practiced coaching & consulting, taking turns distilling a 'problem' concisely and giving feedback.
"To be kind to ourselves is in itself an act of revolution." - Sarah Kingstone
Sarah Kingstone joined us as UVIC's varsity athlete specialist, and shared strategies to build resilience and protection. Self-awareness, mindfulness, positive self talk, and self compassion are researched proofs that help student-athletes navigate challenge. "To be kind to ourselves is in itself an act of revolution." Sarah spoke about how self-regulation allows our nervous and immune systems to receive feedback from coaches. She shared the International Olympic Committee's Individual Mental Health Action Plan, where we took inventory of signals across our various 'Comfort', 'Challenge', and 'Stop' zones.
Next, we heard from Friba Rezayee, founder of Women Leaders of Tomorrow, who shared her determination in building, then activating her own powerful networks to enable girls from Afghanistan to access educational pathways in Canada. By combining her love of sport (she's also Afghanistan's first female Olympian in judo) and belief in education, Friba reminded us of the power of 1:1 mentorship and inspired us with her scholars' stories of resilience: how they refused to let bombs and shattered schools derail their learning or shatter their dreams.
"To belong does not necessarily mean needing to fit in." - Chrissy Benz
Finally, Olivia Maxwell and panelists, Chrissy Benz, Amy Debree, and Jenna Dhanani, tied our themes of self advocacy, mentorship, and leadership together when they talked about our obligation in clearing barriers for the next generation, that we can remove ourselves from spaces that don’t serve us, and that "to belong does not necessarily mean needing to fit in." We learned that our leadership strength is simply being ourselves, and that the better we know ourself and our needs, the easier it is to self-advocate and activate allyship. Thank you to our facilitator, Olivia, and wonderful panelists for sharing your wisdom.
During the event, Tasha Doucas also honoured Squash BC's Emerging Leaders Grant recipient, Taylor Mackay in her devotion to women's programming and access to court, sponsored graciously by our friends from Underhill Geomatics.
Mentorship is more than just guidance; it is the fuel that accelerates action. A great mentor doesn't just share knowledge—they ignite confidence, inspire bold steps, and challenge us to move forward with purpose.
In today’s fast-paced world, success is not just about having ideas but about taking action. A strong mentor helps us bridge the gap between potential and achievement, turning hesitation into momentum. They provide not only wisdom but also accountability, pushing us to step outside our comfort zones and into growth. As we reflect on mentorship today (and tomorrow), let’s ask ourselves: How can we accelerate action—not just for ourselves, but for those we mentor? If we look around and consider spaces and places of power, how can we leverage our own position of power to uplift an equity deserving group? At a recent Canadian Women and Sport webinar, Canada’s Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Honourable Carla Qualtrough herself said, “I want sport in Canada to look like Canada. Diverse." And we all have power through self-advocacy, mentorship and sponsorship to make sport - or any field - that reality. Thank you to this year's conference leaders, sponsors, coaches, and friends for making this an impactful day. Kudos to the entire Squash BC Team: Kim, Jess, Justyna, Zoe, Josh and Squash BC Board Members: Cathy, Iyeba, Stacey for supporting, planning, and engaging in today's important conversation. And a special thank you to Tasha Doucas for masterminding this conference three years ago!
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