Senior Manager of Operations and Newcomers Engagement
Tyler Laing
Senior Manager of Communications
Greg Henhawk
Manager of Indigenous Projects
Emily Rand
Manager of Special Projects
Lea Wiens
Manager of ISC Project / PL4C Community Mentor
Sarah Blézy
Interim Project Manager of School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy Project
Wasim Nazeer
Manager of Finance
Billie Tes
Senior Coordinator of Digital Services
Francesca Jackman
Senior Coordinator of Executive Services
Nick Hastie
Senior Coordinator of Physical Literacy and Knowledge Mobilization
Renée Lozeau
Senior Coordinator of Design
Zoran Stojkovic
Senior Coordinator of Quality Sport
Kathryn Robinson
Coordinator of Administration
Lucy Fox
Coordinator of School Physical Activity-Physical Literacy Communications
Mataya Jim
Coordinator of Indigenous Projects
Tanya Castañeda
Coordinator of In-School Support
Will Johnson
Content creator and storyteller
Roger Smolnicky
Board Chair
After 35 years in municipal recreation and sports in Alberta, Roger has recently retired but continues to be involved in a consultant role. During his time he assisted in hosting the Alberta games in various capacities. Most recently, the first-ever Alberta Masters Games were hosted. He was also vice President for Jasper in 1995 for the Canada Winter Games. He also was the project manager on three Premier recreation centers in the province, the largest being the Leduc Recreation Center at 320,000 square feet. As a sports enthusiast, he has participated in a variety of sports such as curling, skiing, luge, basketball and others at the local, provincial and national level. He is also a past president of the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association and Vice Chair of the Recreation for Life Foundation. Roger truly believes in Sport for Life, and believes that keeping people involved in sport will help them lead healthy lifestyles.
Jacquelyn is one of our newest additions to the Board of Directors, bringing expertise in strategy, program management and strategic talent. Jacquelyn has straddled the world of high performance sport as an athlete and coach in the sport of softball, while managing a fast-paced career with Deloitte as a management consultant specializing in Public Sector, Sport and Tourism. Jacquelyn left Deloitte to pursue a Masters Degree in Sport Management from AISTS in the heart of the Olympic Movement - Lausanne, Switzerland.
Focusing on program development, commercial strategy in sport and sport for development (with programs led by the United Nations), Jacquelyn worked in Switzerland for organizations like European Athletics and the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB). She returned to Canada with Rowing Canada Aviron, focused on coach development and education.
Jacquelyn presently wears a number of hats in the not-for-profit and sport industries. She works as the Director of Ecosystem Talent & Strategy for VIATEC - the industry association for tech in Victoria. She is a Director with Toa Consulting focused on sport, tourism and not-for-profit industries. Jacquelyn is a newly-appointed instructor in the Sport Management program at Camosun College focusing on sport technology, innovation and sport marketing. And on the athlete and coach development side, she acts as a Coach Developer for Softball BC and is a member of the coaching staff for the Czech Women's National Softball team.
John Ross is the retired former Owner and Operator of a large national marketing and sales agency in Toronto. He built the Agency over 40 years to annual sales of over $70 million and more than 50 employees across Canada. John has been an Alpine Skiing Race Crew Chief for 18 years, training and supervising a crew of 20 volunteers while working closely with coaches, team managers, parents and other officials. He is also a certified Para-Alpine ski coach on both the Ontario team as well as the “next gen” national development team. He worked as an Alpine Race Crew member for International Alpine events including Sochi Paralympics, Vancouver Winter Olympics, World Cups at Lake Louise, and many more. In addition to his Board work for S4L and PL4L he is the Vice Chair for the the Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CADS).
John is well known for leading people, building a great team, building relationships, negotiating and achieving results. He has managed, mentored, supported and enthusiastically promoted staff and co-workers in a team environment. He is a strong communicator; confident public speaker and presenter; and accomplished in verbal, written and face-to-face communication.
Mary is the president and vice president of Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Mary has an extensive background in applied health research and education, and came to Grenfell from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Oshawa. Her last post was Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at UOIT. Mary served as director of the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University, and has held positions as national director for coach development at Special Olympics Canada and as a professor at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan in both the faculties of Kinesiology and Health Studies, and Education, among other professional activities.
Mary has received numerous awards for her impact on health, physical activity and sports, and was named as one of the most influential women in sports and physical activity in 2008. Mary was a member of the Sport for Life Long-Term Development Expert Group for six years, serving as the lead on the inclusion of athletes with intellectual disabilities in the development of various sports’ Long-Term Development plans. In addition, she was very influential in the development of the Special Olympics Canada Long-Term Development framework.
Nathan Wong joins our Board as a financial leader in the not-for-profit sector and former competitive athlete (archery); he specializes in strategic financial management, process improvements, and building effective teams. Nathan worked in high-performance sport for over a decade, most recently as the Director of Finance and Administration at Canadian Sport Institute Pacific, before a career shift into social services. He is currently the Senior Director of Finance at PLEA Community Services, where he leads the vision and strategic direction of the agency in the areas of Financial Operations, Budgeting and Reporting, and Information Technology.
Along with his career in not-for-profit, Nathan also held academic roles such as guest lecturing at the University of British Columbia where he helped co-authored the course, “Business of High-Performance Sport in Canada”. He is also a former Facilitator for the CPA Western School of Business, enhancing CPA candidates’ learning experience and their potential for success in the CPA professional education program.
Nathan is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) and holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Laurentian University. He also graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in economics.
Ram is the founder of Fearlessness Consulting Inc., a company dealing in personal and corporate performance strategies. Clients from all walks of life have worked with Ram's approach to achieve real performance improvements across multiple domains in their lives and businesses.
Currently, he is the head coach for the Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton club with previous experience as High-Performance Director, National Head Coach, National Para Badminton Head Coach. He has worked in every area possible within his chosen sport, most notably coaching Canada to it’s best ever Olympic Games finish in 2012.
Ram has traveled to over 90 countries globally and has coached at every major sporting event in the world. Best-selling author of The Sport of Life and a Level 5 Chartered Professional Coach, Ram has received multiple awards in the field of coaching and believes that sport is a metaphor for life.
Sylvie Béliveau is an important female figure in soccer at the Canadian and International levels and in the sport world in general. She has coached teams at all levels including the Canadian Senior Women’s National Soccer Team. For several years, Sylvie has given her technical expertise and time to many different sport organizations, including the Quebec Soccer Federation, Canada Soccer, FIFA, CAAWS and others.
Sylvie’s knowledge of developmental principles especially LTD (Long Term Development), coach development and training, and sport administration, has contributed towards her in-depth knowledge of the Canadian Sport System.
Sylvie has played a significant role as a Board Member of CAAWS. She is also a founding member and presently Vice President of Egale Action, an organization that promotes the participation, retention and advancement of women in sport in the province of Quebec. Sylvie is now the Senior Advisor, Varsity Program, at McGill University for The Women in Sport Initiative.
Wendy is the Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific. The Canadian Sport Institute, in partnership with the national network of Canadian Sport Institutes and the British Columbia (BC) network of PacificSport Centres, delivers sport performance programs and services to provide athletes and coaches living in BC with every advantage to win medals for Canada.
Wendy completed her Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in 2004 at Royal Roads University, Victoria, British Columbia, culminating in her MBA thesis, “An Integrated Performance System for British Columbia”. In 2005 Wendy was asked to Chair the Integrated Performance Planning Workgroup and authored a final report for 2010 Legacies Now, “Performance Priorities in BC”. This report served as the framework used to launch a new Integrated Performance System (IPS). Wendy authored a follow-up report, “Integrated Performance System Evaluation Report” in 2008. British Columbia has seen steady improvement with performance results at the national and international level since the IPS was put in place in 2005.
Wendy is a former world-ranked professional tennis player (top 100 in the world), 12-time national tennis champion and Female Athlete of the Year (City of Greater Victoria). Wendy was inducted to the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. Prior to taking on the challenge of starting the Canadian Sport Institute in 1999, Wendy served double duty as the Director of Athlete Development and Head National Team Coach/Olympic Coach for Tennis Canada, a post she held for 13 years. Wendy is married and has three children, all actively involved in competitive sport.
Richard is the CEO of the Sport for Life Society and an architect of the Long-Term Development Framework. Richard has facilitated the use of Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity for over 60 sports in more than 100 countries, and co-authored the book, Long-Term Development, with Istvan Balyi and Dr. Colin Higgs. Throughout his career, Richard has been an innovative leader, a catalyst for advancing quality sport and developing physical literacy; throughout the course of his career, he has contributed to more than 100 resources on sport and physical literacy development. Under Richard's leadership, the Sport for Life team was awarded the Canadian Medical Association's national Award for Excellence in Health Promotion, and more recently, the team was a finalist in the Global Design Challenge to find solutions to the challenges faced in sport and physical activity due to COVID-19. Richard is a founding member of the International Physical Literacy Association. Additionally, he has served as the Director of Sport for Vancouver’s successful 2010 Winter Olympic Games Bid Corporation, a commission member of the International Luge Federation, and a Board member of the Canadian Luge Association. Richard is the founder of the Calgary Luge Club and the B.C. Luge Association; he represented Canada in nine natural Luge World Championships and was an All-Canadian West in soccer for the University of Calgary. He is a proud father to three sporty young adults.
Carolyn is the Director of Quality Sport Development for the Sport for Life Society. She has worked with many sport organizations at the community, provincial and national level in the areas of strategic planning, Canadian Sport for Life implementation and coach education. In the past she has worked with Rowing Canada Aviron, Special Olympics Canada, Canadian Bowling Federation, Canadian Broomball Federation, and Tennis Canada in the development of their Long-Term Development frameworks. Carolyn filled the role of Director of Coach Education for Rowing Canada for 15 years. As a Director for Sport for Life, she works extensively with national and multi-sport organizations as they move toward integration of Long-Term Development into their culture and programs. Carolyn has collaborated with a number of organizations on their competition review and restructuring.
Drew is the Director of Physical Literacy for the Sport for Life Society and works as a consultant focused on the development of physical literacy at the community level and promoting the Canadian Sport for Life Movement. He is a graduate of Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. Drew has worked extensively in the sport system as an educator and developer of programs for the past 19 years. He managed Sport Technical and Performance Services for viaSport BC and was the Manager of Science & Medicine programs for SportMedBC where he worked with over 50 different sports at the local, provincial and national level. He is also a past member of the Canadian National Canoeing Team and the former Health & Lifestyle Coordinator at the Downtown Vancouver YMCA. Drew has been involved in sport and fitness for over 40 years as an athlete, coach, administrator, volunteer, developer and manager.
Tom is the Director of International and Partnerships for the Sport for Life Society. A long-time member of the Canadian sport community, Tom has served as the CEO of Commonwealth Games Canada and Athletes CAN in Ottawa, as well as Manager of Sport, Excellence and Wellness at the Richmond Olympic Oval. He spent three years working in the Australian sport system as Executive Director of a state sporting organization (Melbourne) and Operations Manager for the volleyball competition at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. A graduate of UBC, Tom holds an MBA from the University of Calgary and is currently Principal of Jones & Associates Sport and Management Consulting in Vancouver. Tom competed internationally for Canada in the sport of volleyball, and was a bronze medalist at the 1979 Pan Am Games, silver medalist at the 1983 World Student Games and semifinalist of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. He spent seven years in Europe as a professional athlete and more recently competed in the World Masters Games, winning gold in Edmonton 2005.
Alex is the Senior Manager of Education and Evaluation for the Sport for Life Society. Alex monitors the progress of projects and builds educational connections for the Sport for Life movement. She earned a Bachelor of Physical and Health Education and Bachelor of Science from Queen’s University and a Master’s Degree in Exercise and Health Psychology from the University of British Columbia. Alex has been involved with a variety of projects supporting and encouraging physical literacy and a healthy lifestyle including Action Schools! BC, BC Wheelchair Sports Association and research projects in both education and health settings. Alex enjoys being an active part of her community and volunteers regularly with the Take a Hike Foundation and Alpine Club of Canada. She is an outdoor enthusiast who can frequently be found biking, hiking, paddling, and skiing to maximize her time in nature.
Senior Manager of Operations and Newcomers Engagement
Kabir Hosein is the Senior Manager of Operations and Newcomers Engagement at Sport for Life Society. He is a sport administration specialist with over a decade of experience. Hailing from the tropical twin islands of Trinidad and Tobago, he was previously employed as the Chief Administrative Officer of the Athletics Association of Trinidad and Tobago. He was also team lead for the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee (TTOC) initiative, where he worked to develop long term development frameworks and introduce physical literacy initiatives. Added to his academic credentials in business and sports administration, he brings experience in the financial services sector of the Caribbean with a specialization in project management, project development and strategic planning. He is a former Trinidad and Tobago National Junior athlete and enjoys spending quality time with his family, volunteering as a coach and traveling to new places.
Tyler is the Senior Manager of Communications for the Sport for Life Society. He is interested in all aspects of sport, and wants to see more children with the opportunity to develop physical literacy through multi-sport and multi-activity involvement. A graduate of the University of Victoria’s Writing Program, Tyler manages Sport for Life’s social media, communications, and web content. He is eager to share stories that outline successful implementation of Long-Term Development, or that showcase physical literacy integration throughout communities and programs from across the sport, recreation, health and education sectors.
Greg Henhawk is Mohawk of the Bear Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation in Southern Ontario. He recently retired as a Secondary School teacher on Six Nations and joined Sport for Life as the Indigenous Ambassador and team member for Physical Literacy with Indigenous Communities project. He is also a facilitator developer and consultant for Indigenous programs. Greg is a graduate of the National Coaching Institute-Ontario (Basketball) and is a Master Learning Facilitator for the Aboriginal Coaching Modules, Aboriginal Long-Term Participant Development Pathway, Aboriginal Communities: Active for Life, Basketball Canada, and Multisport NCCP programming. He was a member of the Project Advisory Group for the Aboriginal Coaching Modules and was a founding (and present) Board Member for the Coaches Association of Ontario.
Emily is the Manager of Special Projects for the Sport for Life Society. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Physical and Health Education from Queen’s University, and a Masters of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Victoria. She previously worked at Cancer Care Ontario in the Primary Care Engagement unit, and has also done extensive work as a health promotion researcher in the area of children’s physical activity and nutrition. She is passionate about movement and is excited to increase health knowledge and skill development in a variety of diverse populations through the special projects at Sport for Life. Emily loves to travel and explore the great outdoors, and has always been involved in a wide range of sports and activities, which now include running, biking, snowboarding, volleyball, CrossFit and yoga.
Lea works with community leaders across multiple sectors, developing knowledge and capacity to deliver physical literacy and quality sport enriched programs and services. After establishing one of the first Sport for Life Community projects in her home town of Cochrane, AB, Lea went on to lead the RBC Learn to Play Community Mentorship on behalf of the Sport for Life Society. Currently, Lea is the project manager supporting physical literacy and quality sport in Indigenous schools and communities as well as working as a Mentor for the Physical Literacy for Communities – BC project
Interim Project Manager of School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy Project
Sarah is the Interim Project Manager of School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy Project for the Sport for Life Society and an Associate Mentor for the Physical Literacy for Communities B.C. project. She holds a Masters Degree from Brussels School of International Studies in theories of development, analysis and collaboration and a certificate in Project Management from the Inter-American Development Bank. Sarah is interested in health and well-being, particularly in creating healthy and sustainable communities. She has worked with many community development organizations and social impact businesses throughout Latin America, Canada, and Switzerland helping them to achieve their goals by implementing project and organizational planning and management processes. Sarah is also an outdoor enthusiast and can regularly be found climbing, hiking, cross country skiing and snowboarding.
Waseem Nazir is the Manager of Finance for Sport for Life Society, and is responsible for the overall financial operations of the organization. He has a Master of Commerce degree and 12 years of finance and accounting experience in the oil, gas and energy sector with world-leading engineering organizations. During that time he worked as a senior financial analyst, a project controller, and a commercial project manager. From 1999 to 2005 he competed in Olympic-style weightlifting, taking home second place in Pakistan's National Weightlifting Championships in 2005.
Billie Tes is the Senior Coordinator of Digital Services for the Sport for Life Society. Billie oversees the creation, implementation, and progression of our digital services as well as manages all inbound and outbound client relationships that pertain to them. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Victoria and a Diploma in Intercultural Education and Training. Billie was a Student-Athlete in Athletics, some of her accomplishments are running for Canada in the 4x100m Junior Pan American games and at the Harry Jerome Classic. Her passion for Athletics translated into her passion for coaching, facilitating and instructing. Billie is a certified Personal Training Specialist with the Canadian Fitness Professionals and also works in various communities as a Physical Literacy leader through PISE. Billie has also worked in financial services where she primarily was an account portfolio coordinator for small businesses, not-for-profits and commercial clients in the Greater Victoria area for five years, specifically in digital channels, business development, marketing, and administration at Coast Capital Savings Federal Credit Union. Billie volunteers with the Victoria Sexual Assault Center as a Support Worker and has a personal passion for supporting marginalized communities to reach their full potential. She can be found hiking, exercising in local parks or rec centers, reading, building community and spending time with her loved ones.
As the Senior Coordinator of Executive Services at Sport for Life Society, Francesca provides communication and coordination support to the CEO and Board of Directors. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Carleton University, having double majored in Journalism and French, and completed her Master’s degree in French Language and Culture at the University of Victoria in the fall of 2019. Prior to joining Sport for Life, Francesca has served as a Communications Assistant to a federal Member of Parliament, an External Communications Coordinator at the Ministry of Education, and as the Book Marketing Program Manager at Tellwell - an assisted self-publishing company. Francesca also volunteered at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games as a Press Tribune Team Member in the indoor track cycling Velodrome. An avid long-distance runner, Francesca is passionate about using her administrative and bilingual communications skills to serve Canada’s sport community.
Senior Coordinator of Physical Literacy and Knowledge Mobilization
Nick is the Senior Coordinator of Physical Literacy and Knowledge Mobilization for the Sport for Life Society. As an accomplished endurance athlete in triathlon, Nick has adopted a passion for all things activity related and strives to instill this appreciation in others. With vast involvement in event coordination and activity programing, Nick brings a comprehensive approach to elevate both the organizer and participant experience. In his time away from Sport for Life, Nick commits his vitality to cooking, cocktailing, triathlon training and his newfound amusements of springboard / platform diving and rowing alike.
As the Senior Coordinator of Design at Sport for Life Society, Renée is responsible for branding, layout, graphic design, and coordination of our numerous resources, documents and promotional materials.
In 2002, she earned a diploma in Digital Art and Design in the two-year intensive program offered by Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. Then prior to joining the Sport for Life team in 2019, Renée gained a wealth of graphic design experience which included 17 years of print design, 11 years of web design, 10 years of publication and advertising design/layout, and seven years of sign/decal/logo design. She has developed complete branding strategies including corporate materials, websites, signage, publication design, advertising, point of sale and other promotional materials for clients in a broad range of industries.
Zoran Stojkovic is the Senior Coordinator of Quality Sport at the Sport for Life Society. His primary role is to establish effective and efficient processes that enable service to the sport community. Zoran has an MSc degree in Sport & Exercise Psychology, is a Mental Performance Consultant certified by the Canadian Sport Psychology Association, and a high-performance tennis coach. His love for coaching and human performance development led him to study how elite performers prepare for competition. He created Kizo Performance, a service that conditions and trains the minds of athletes while helping them to unlock their peak performance.
Kathryn is the Coordinator of Administration for the Sport for Life Society. Her role will be a good blend of past work and life experiences; primarily preparing agreements and varied proofreading, research duties. She has enjoyed working in different sectors and the ongoing learning this has offered. While working as a Vitamin & Nutrition Advisor, Kathryn liked giving information on products that could improve health and well-being. Then she realized how interested she was in technology and looked for an avenue to develop skills in that area. In her role as Search Engine Optimization Campaign Director at Beanstalk, she focused on developing strategies for the success of her clients’ websites, analysis of contracts and risk management. When this avenue closed, she used her good organizational and problem-solving skills, proof-reading, accuracy and a positive “can do” attitude as a Legal Assistant. She has taken several courses over the years to enable her to switch her focus and challenge herself. Her commitment to excellence with client relations and communication with everyone has been the foundation of her work ethics. She looks forward to learning more about the opportunity to develop physical literacy for herself, and perhaps seniors as well. She is very keen to be a part of a company working for positive change and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
Coordinator of School Physical Activity-Physical Literacy Communications
Lucy is the Coordinator of School Physical Activity Physical Literacy Communications at the Sport for Life Society. In this role, she creates and distributes communications specific to the School Physical Activity and Physical Literacy project, and develops and executes its communication plan.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies from the University of British Columbia. Prior to joining Sport for Life, Lucy worked in Business Development for Fortius Sport & Health, as the sports editor at UBC’s student newspaper, The Ubyssey, and as a correspondent with USPORTS.
In her spare time, Lucy is an avid spin cyclist, a dragonboater, and recreational soccer player. She has also recently taken up skiing.
Mataya Jim is the Coordinator of Indigenous Projects at Sport for Life and sits on Sport for Life’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee. She is a W̱SÁNEĆ woman from the W,SIKEM community with ties to Penálaxeth' & Wwaayaa. Mataya has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Victoria studying Sociology and Indigenous Studies. The majority of her previous work has been within Indigenous communities. Mataya feels privileged to have worked within First Nation communities planning and coordinating community engagement, summer recreation programs, and events. Additionally, Mataya has worked and volunteered with children and youth through girls’ groups and soccer teams. During her time at university she was on the Native Student Union Council and volunteered in student mentorship positions. She enjoys engaging in projects that bring people together and celebrate successes. Outside of work Mataya is a very family-oriented person. She enjoys family time at the beaches of Vancouver Island, supporting community soccer, and cozying up with a good book.
Tanya is the Coordinator of In-School Support for the Sport for Life Society. Originally from Mexico City, Tanya moved to Victoria 10 years ago. Her background is Leisure Management, Marketing and Logistics, and she has an MBA. Tanya has travelled through 13 countries and her favourite journey so far was to Everest base camp. She completed a yoga teacher training back in 2016 in the Himalayas – Kalimpong, India. She enjoys dancing, hiking, camping, tennis and watersports.
Will Johnson is a content creator and storyteller for the Sport for Life Society. His passion for physical literacy began with his years as a competitive swimmer, and continued into his career as a swimming instructor and whitewater rafting guide. With both a bachelor's and a master's degree in creative writing, from UVic and UBC, Will worked in book publishing and journalism before joining the team. He aims to engage Canadians of all ages with enticing content that will help them learn the benefits of embracing an active lifestyle.
