Mary Spencer named to Canada's Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity

Honourable Leona Aglukkaq also on prestigious CAAWS list

The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) announced today the twenty women selected to the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity list (MIW) for 2011. The objective of the list is to focus on women who are leaders and role models making a difference on the Canadian or international scene. The women on the MIW are influential women who contributed in a significant way to sport and physical activity in the year 2011.

“CAAWS publishes its Most Influential Women list to celebrate and honour Canadian women who are influencing change in their area of expertise of sport and physical activity," said CAAWS Executive Director Karin Lofstrom (Ottawa, Ontario). “These leaders share a passion for sport and physical activity—and use it to improve the lives of others. These women are game changers who motivate others to become leaders.”

Every year, the MIW list includes athletes, officials, coaches, politicians, professors, administrators and volunteers. There are some women who have been named to the list several times, such as Paralympian and coach Chantal Petitclerc; and some who are new to the list like Olympic boxing hopeful Mary Spencer, and Karen Rackel who is the first ever women President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association (in its 116 year old history). Nine of the women are making their first appearance on the MIW List, while Olympian Beckie Scott and Paralympian Chantal Petitclerc have each been named to the MIW list 6 times, and Olympian Charmaine Crooks has appeared a record seven times.
The Caaws Most Influential Women List For 2011 is:

Dr Jodi Abbott, Official and volunteer, Skate Canada, (Edmonton, Alberta)

Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, (Gjoa Haven and Iqaluit, Nunavut)

Stacey Allaster, Chairman & CEO, Women’s Tennis Association, (St Petersburg, Florida/Welland, Ontario)

Caroline Assalian, Chief Sport Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee (Ottawa, Ontario)

Claire Buffone-Blair, President and CEO, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame (Calgary, AB)

Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team (2011 team)

Charmaine Crooks, Board of Directors, Canadian Olympic Committee, (Vancouver, BC)

Dr Wendy Frisby, Professor, School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, (Vancouver, BC)

Wendy Gittens, Executive Director, Wheelchair Basketball Canada, (Ottawa, Ontario)

Andrea Grantham, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Physical and Health Education Canada (PHE Canada)

Dr. Vicki Harber, Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, University of Alberta, (Edmonton, Alberta)

Lindsay Hugenholtz, Deputy CEO, 2011 Canada Winter Games, (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Clara Hughes, Olympian and advocate, (Winnipeg, Manitoba / Glenn Sutton, Quebec)

Élaine Lauzon, Director General, Égale Action, (Montreal, Québec)

Anne Merklinger, Director Summer Sports, Own the Podium, (Ottawa, Ontario)

Kelly Murumets, President and CEO, ParticipACTION, (Toronto, Ontario)

Chantal Petitclerc, Spokesperson, volunteer and coach, (Montréal, Québec)

Karen Rackel, President of the Royal Canadian Golf Association, (Edmonton, Alberta)

Beckie Scott, Olympian and advocate, (Vermillion, Alberta)

Mary Spencer, Athlete and volunteer, (Windsor, Ontario)


The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) has named 20 women in its Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity list for 2011, and Mary Spencer, Ojibwe, is one of the honorees.

Spencer, of the Cape Croker Ojibwe First Nation in Ontario, is Canada’s powerhouse pugilist. She’s an eight-time national champion, five-time Pan-American Games champion, and three-time world champion—that’s a lot of metal in her trophy collection, with some heavier elements expected to be added soon. Ringside pundits and experts see her medaling, likely taking gold, at the London Olympic Games this summer, when women’s boxing makes it debut.

Although a basketball star in high school who dreamt of one day turning pro, Spencer, 28, began boxing in 2002 at the age of 17. After a few months of testing the ropes she found herself at the Windsor Amateur Boxing Club, in Windsor, Ontario, training under three-time Olympic coach, Charlie Stewart. Her career record stands at an incredible 118-8. And the accolades she’s winning outside the ring are equally impressive.

This includes her recent CAAWS recognition. The CAAWS list, which has been published for 11 years, includes athletes, officials, coaches, politicians, professors, administrators and volunteers. Spencer moved up a class this year from CAAWS’s 2010 Ones to Watch list.

“CAAWS publishes its Most Influential Women list to celebrate and honor Canadian women who are influencing change in their area of expertise of sport and physical activity,” CAAWS Executive Director Karin Lofstrom told The Globe and Mail. “These leaders share a passion for sport and physical activity – and use it to improve the lives of others. These women are game changers who motivate others to become leaders.”

Spencer is without a doubt a leader. Gen7, an organization that aims to encourage aboriginal youth to live, and encourage others to live, an active and healthy lifestyle through sport and physical activity, has noticed. The nonprofit has selected Spencer to be a Gen7 Messenger, a role that has her helping to develop the next generation of aboriginal leaders in communities across Canada.

The fighter sums up her philosophy of success in and out of the ring by noting that “Failure is determined by the things we allow to happen. Success is determined by the things we make happen.” Further, she’s grateful for the people in her life that helped her succeed in achieving her goals. They went out of their way to help her and from this she has learned that when you help someone, not only are you helping them, you are also helping yourself become a better person.

“I feel like there is a very good reason why I have the experiences that I do and that reason is so that I can share them with others,” she observed. Spoken like a true champion.

For more on Spencer as she trains for the London Games, visit her official website, MarySpencer.ca.


Sources: http://www.caaws.ca/influentialwomen/e/, http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/02/17/she%E2%80%99s-a-knockout-ojibwe-boxer-mary-spencer-is-a-leader-with-influence-95544