An all-star roster of nine amazing women gathered in the K. C. Irving Environmental Science Centre Auditorium on March 8, International Women’s Day, to celebrate Women in Sport at Acadia: Past, Present and Potential.

A capacity crowd heard presentations from keynote speaker Dr. Tina Atkinson (’91), with panelists Dr. Wendy Bedingfield, Ann MacVicar (’61, ’62), Mary Sullivan Surette (’79), Dr. Heidi Stanish (’92), Erika Traikov (’10, ’11), Emily MacLeod (’17), and Ebe Otoikhine (’25) sharing their memories, reflections and observations. Closing remarks were offered by Becky Dorsey (’23).

The panelists offered their thoughts over the course of the four-hour event. Despite the 65-year span in their time spent as ‘women in sport’ at Acadia, their messages had some distinct similarities. Each had pursued different degrees at Acadia, and established careers in a broad range of fields. The thing they shared during their time at Acadia from the late 1950s until today was their involvement in varsity athletics.

Their reflections were distinctly positive, regardless of the sport in which they had been involved. They spoke about the happy memories, friendships made, special moments, and lessons learned. A number of them shared stories of the inequity between male and female athletes in terms of access to resources, but at the time they accepted that as the norm and were just grateful for the opportunity to play and wear the Acadia ‘A’.

In the present, speakers discussed how lessons learned through their Acadia varsity experience such as teamwork, perseverance, overcoming obstacles, and building mental strength influenced their careers. They have all contributed to sport in a myriad of ways, both volunteer and professional, from working at the local club level right up to the Olympics, and uniformly considered it a privilege to be able to give something back or pay it forward for their high school and varsity sport experiences.

In terms of potential, speakers talked optimistically about the progress that has been made for women in sport over the years, but were quick to point out that there is still work to be done. Each expressed great respect, admiration, and appreciation for the women who have been behind the changes over the years.

Dr. Atkinson concluded her presentation by saying, “be an ally. Buy the tickets. Watch it on TV, support women's sports. I'm a fan of all sports, but support women's sports, and it's only going to grow even further.”

The event was truly memorable, fostering excitement and optimism. It was a chance to stand up and cheer for the women in sport at Acadia and for the promise of an even brighter future.

For more, please see our photo gallery.

To view a video of the day's proceedings, click HERE.