The 2021 Girls Can Summit: empowering girls through sport
The second annual event in Windsor, Ont. was a huge success
The 2021 Girls Can Summit took place this Saturday in Windsor, Ont., where 60 girls from grade 4 to grade 10 had the opportunity to learn track and field skills from Olympians and elite female athletes. Border City Track Club coach and event organizer, Kurt Downes, says the day was a success and is hoping it will inspire others to host similar events in other cities across the country.
62 per cent of Canadian adolescent girls are not participating in sport
“The parents were really thankful that we were able to provide some things for their daughters,” says Downes, “and the support we got from the community was amazing.”
More than anything, the girls themselves were really happy to have access to some outstanding female role models. As part of the day’s activities, they got a chance to sit down with elite Canadian athletes, including Tokyo Olympians Noelle Montcalm, Micha Powell, Alicia Brown and Canadian 100m champion Crystal Emmanuel, as well as Canadian 400m hurdler Kelsey Balkwill, and ask them questions about their backgrounds and their careers.
“Crystal looks like them, she has an accent too, she came from another country,” says Downes, “So I think it was really awesome for them to see that diverse group, but also understand that there are women here who look like them and have been super successful.”
Downes adds that the event was special because normally, young girls wouldn’t have access to athletes in such an intimate atmosphere, and emphasizes there’s a lot of power in having that kind of access to strong role models like Montcalm, Powell, Brown and Emmanuel. He applauds the companies that supported the event, like Under Armour, noting that their financial backing is what makes it possible to give young girls opportunities like this. “The truth of the matter is that a lot of times, companies don’t want to give funding to initiatives like this,” he says, “and I really hope that more companies will do that, because I don’t think they realize the direct impact that will have.”
The feedback Downes received from the girls who attended was very positive, and he adds that just by putting young girls in the same space as role models like Olympic athletes, they start to believe they could be them one day. “If we can give these girls access to these women, who knows?” he says. “Programs like these are something that we need. For a girl to leave with a knapsack, a pair of shoes, a water bottle, it’s invaluable.”
The Border City Track Club will be hosting another Girls Can summit next fall, and Downes is hoping the next one will be even bigger and more successful than the last.
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