Join us for a conversation on Microsoft Teams with Lindsay Heelis (’13), Amy Walsh (’99), and Jasmine Parent (’12) as we explore the world of women in sport. This hour will examine the current state of sports, including reflections on the past and where to go from here.

Register HERE.

Presenter bios

Lindsay Heelis (’13)

RD, CDE, MHSc, IOC Dipl. Sports Nutrition

A native of New Minas, Nova Scotia, Lindsay is very familiar with the sport landscape in the province. She has a wealth of coaching and playing experience at the provincial, university, high school, and youth levels.

Lindsay is currently an Assistant Coach with the Acadia Axewomen basketball team. She joined the Axewomen coaching staff in 2021, helping guide them to an AUS Championship in 2022. She is also a Registered Dietitian and member of the primary health care leadership team with Nova Scotia Health. As a Registered Dietitian, Lindsay provides sports nutrition consulting and services to athletes in Nova Scotia. She has worked with several sport organizations as well as university and professional athletes across Canada.

Lindsay graduated from Acadia University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science in Nutrition. During her time at Acadia, she was a captain of the Axewomen basketball team, helping them to capture an AUS championship in 2012. She was also named a USPORTS All-Canadian, and Acadia University Student of the Year in 2013. Afterwards, she went on to complete a Master of Health Science from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2015. Additionally, Lindsay holds a graduate diploma from the International Olympic Committee in Sports Nutrition.

Amy Walsh (’99)

CEO, Future of Hockey Lab

In 2020, Amy co-founded the Future of Hockey Lab (“FHL”). The FHL partners with diverse groups and leading organizations to create, test and scale innovative ideas that transform the sport’s culture. Initially hosted by Hockey Nova Scotia and powered by Bauer, Scotiabank, Hockey Canada and Jumpstart, it is understood to be the first of its kind in the world.

The lab was inspired by three core bodies of work that Amy spearheaded when she was executive director of Hockey Nova Scotia from 2018 to 2022, including the Hockey Nova Scotia Diversity and Inclusion Task Force. This was a key part of a comprehensive response to past and present incidents of racism, discrimination and abuse in hockey and resulted in hundreds of recommendations, mostly from first voice experiences on how to make the game safer and more welcoming for all.

A strong believer in sport for social change, Amy also assembled a pan-provincial team to create the Players Journey, a human-centered design process that mapped the full experience of a hockey player, including identifying the reasons players leave the game, barriers to access, as well as opportunities to increase participation and improve the overall player experience.

Amy also chaired the Women’s Worlds Legacy Development Committee, initially in preparation for Nova Scotia to host the 2021 IIHF Women's World Championships and ultimately a comprehensive plan to grow the female game.

She is the past chair of the Hockey Canada Diversity and Inclusion Task Team and served on the Canadian Junior Hockey League Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Currently she is a member of the NHL and NHLPA Female Hockey Advisory Committee.  

Amy was previously the director of sport development with Sport Nova Scotia, where she led a team of 16 staff charged with the growth and sustainability of quality sport experiences for all Nova Scotians. This required strong collaboration with over 55 provincial sport organizations, thousands of community sport groups, and a host of aligned industry partners.

Amy is the mother of three boys, a former minor hockey coach and a long-time volunteer. As a decorated amateur multi-sport athlete, she was a member of provincial teams for speed skating, field hockey and ice hockey, and excelled as a university hockey player.

Jasmine Parent (’12)

Jasmine Parent is a mother of three, athlete, high school basketball coach and social worker turned entrepreneur.

After a drastic lifestyle change in 2018, Jasmine left her role as a Social Worker to launch her successful online business, I AM WORTHY WELLNESS. She now provides online wellness coaching to her clients across North America that includes support with mental health, behaviour change, fitness and nutrition with a primary focus on self-compassion. Jasmine has always had a passion for helping others and has shown this in many roles over the years; it was when she shifted her focus inward to prioritize self care that the idea for her business took flight.

Jasmine provides coaching to her clients and athletes with a strength-based approach focused on providing specific individual plans that cater to each individual’s unique needs. Jasmine is passionate about supporting others to become the healthiest version of themselves in body and mind so that they too can operate through life with a strength-based approach.

With three leaders in the field from a managerial, coach, and player background, this event is not to be missed. There will also be ample time to ask questions and engage with the panelists as the evening progresses.

For any inquiries, please contact Victoria Hendrycks, Event Coordinator: victoria.hendrycks@acadiau.ca