Today I met a powerhouse. The Speaker of the House in BC, Linda Reid. The meeting went like this: Her: “Have you sent a letter in to the Minister responsible with your request to declare ‘2015 – The Year of Women in Sport’?” Me: “Well I sent emails to test the waters last summer.” Her: “Well we work on letters. Send a letter, copy me, and we’ll get this done. It’s a no-brainer.” Me: “Right then.” And then she proceeded to rattle off about 10 other leaders to contact to build momentum. 25 minutes later we were done. Whoa. And… Read more →
Our blog
Finish the race
The current theme my draft writings have centered around is ‘Finish the race.’ Finish the race when it comes to bringing men and women closer together, to strengthen our natural partnership. Finish the race when it comes to addressing ills in our communities like violence to girls and women. Now I know finishing the race is not easy…it requires real work and a commitment. But if Canada was a land honoured and stewarded by the First Nations then pioneered by tough settlers, surely today in our evolved state with so many conveniences we can double down on our personal and… Read more →
A Thank You // Our Intentions for 2015
A Thank You // Our Intentions for 2015 To say 2014 was a year of growth in understanding is an understatement! It is only because of my work with you that I was able to see where to take The Power in Sport. I started the with several initiatives, to explore what mediums could connect with the right people and in the quickest way. declaring “2015 – The Year of Women in Sport!” — To date over 200 of you have declared, 15 organizations and 9 municipalities. Canada can do better, don’t you think? speaker nights – these gatherings were… Read more →
Why a declaration
[lead_p]Often I am asked why Declare 2015 – The Year of Women in Sport, what good will it do, what change will it trigger. [/lead_p] To understand this, we need to look at the power of language and our words. Some argue that our word is all we have. That our future is created from our word and we make change through our words. These words start with ourselves and then are spread and shared through conversations. Words are the language of commitment. [lead_p]Think of a time you made a positive change in your life.[/lead_p] It started by saying something… Read more →
Andrea Neil honored by the Whitecaps – Aug 2014
Great day yesterday here in Vancouver. Many thanks to the Metro Women’s Soccer League President Laurie Robertson and VP Deb Pudeck for the invitation. I attended the Whitecaps Soccer Club’s induction of the great international player Andrea Neil who represented Canada for over a decade. Great game too – Whitecaps won. 1st row of photos left to right: myself & Deb Pudeck, VP of Metro Women’s Soccer League; Deb Pudeck & Marlene Blundell, member of 1978 Canadian contingent from the Imperial Order of the Daughters of the Empire in what is now known as an unofficial Women’s World Cup; photo… Read more →
Pen Pal Program – announcement
The Pen Pal Project June 2014 We are looking for both athletes and groups of youth to join our pen pal program. Athletes Our priority for athlete role models is: – International and national team soccer players likely to compete in the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Canada in 2015 – Under 20 soccer players competing in the U-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada; particularly Canada, USA, Nigeria, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Brazil, Mexico, Ghana – Male national team athletes who want to be a positive role model for youth – Local athletes who want to write to youth to be… Read more →
My top highlights and hopes from the FIFA World Cup in Brazil
My top highlights of the World Cup For what it’s worth. By Linda Diano. The FIFA World Cup has come and gone. Phewf. What a great sporting event. Here are my thoughts, as I say ‘for what it’s worth.’ I bet you have your own lists. 1. Brazilian soccer kids singing their hearts out during the Brazilian national anthem. Virtually screaming the anthem. 2. Lionel Messi, the touted superstar from Argentina, keeping his play clean in all situations. 3. Thomas Mueller, of Germany, for his raw facial expressions when he misplayed the ball (usually tongue out… Read more →
The Whitecaps & Latino event
April 9 2014 We met up with the Whitecaps last Friday. We continue to make connections to further the message of The Power in Sport! Bobby Lenarduzzi made himself available and spoke warmly with all the visitors. He is such a warm person and a good representative for sport. Remember 1979 and the Soccer Bowl? Vancouver Whitecaps won and the Village of Vancouver was never the same. Here’s an old video off of youtube capturing the celebrity and energy. Pictures from the event last week. Read more →
BLOG & PHOTOS: A visit with Special Olympians, March 15 2014
Special Olympians brighten the day Mar 15, 2014 This weekend I visited over 12 Special Olympians before they started their swim practice at Minoru Aquatic Centre in Richmond. I met their coach, Janice Low, at a UBC Pitch event and she invited me to come speak with the group. We spoke about the power in sport and our ideas about bringing an Olympic attitude to their swim practice. Photos of a few of the members of the swim team. Incredibly enthusiastic, these people reminded me what it’s like to live in gratitude and enthusiasm more often than not. Here are… Read more →
ANNOUNCEMENT: Different format for updates for subscribers!
Mar 2, 2014. Dear blog subscribers and declarers of “2015 – The Year of Women in Sport,” For the next 2 months, we are trying a different format for blog updates. You will be receiving a more traditional blog update with excerpts of blogs posted. If this is confusing, you will soon see what we are talking about. Have feedback? Send us a note. We like to hear from you. Linda Read more →