On Saturday March 8th, 2025 – International Women’s Day – Squash BC held our third annual Women’s Conference. This year, we expanded beyond women in squash, reaching out to a broader network of women in all sports. We invited leaders, advocates, academics, and athletes across sport and other industries to celebrate women in our community. This event brought together a diverse group of women where we explored the powerful impact of mentorship in sport. The conference was held at the Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club alongside the Richardson Wealth Women’s $25K PSA Open.
Lessons from Squash BC’s Women in Sport: The Power of Mentorship Conference
Written by: Diana Chang
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.
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 challenges. “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.
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 ourselves 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.
“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.” – Diana Chang
Thank you to our Sponsors
This event wouldn’t have been possible without our allies and sponsors Diana Chang (Diana Chang Consultancy), Tasha Doucas, the Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club, Sport BC, Pacific Sport Fraser Valley, BC Women & Sport, Minerva BC, and Underhill Geomatics— thank you for supporting our vision of advancing gender equity in sport.
