Fergus, ON — Congratulations to Centre Wellington District High School (CWDHS), which was awarded the Team Canada Olympic Day Grant for empowering girls and gender-diverse students through the introduction of powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting programs.
CWDHS was among six schools to be awarded the $5,000 grant for its initiative, which aligns with the Canadian Olympic Committee’s (COC) commitment to making sport safe, inclusive and barrier-free so more young people can play and stay in sport. The recipients also received a 90-minute motivational speech from a Team Canada athlete.
At CWDHS, Canadian Bobsleigh Olympian Cynthia Appiah visited and shared her story and her Olympic journey with staff and students.
Staff at CWDHS are grateful to have found a program that helps meet the needs of young girls and gender-diverse students to have more accessibility to sports and training that are more male-dominated.
“Upon reflection, I see that it wasn’t luck that brought us to this fortunate place. First and foremost, it’s the vision and dedication of the Canadian Olympic Committee to develop a program that reaches out to support the inspiration for students to develop a life-long love of sports participation, and create a legacy of healthy activity in them,” said CWDHS principal, Janine Grin.
This grant is a key driver of the Team Canada Impact Agenda, which is built around three pillars – Podium, Play, and Planet – and this grant, as part of the COC’s long-standing Olympic Education program, will play a critical role in transforming “play” by giving more young people access to experience the power of sport.
A student presents Cynthia Appiah with a school shirt at Centre Wellington District High School in Fergus, Ontario. J
