TWO OUTSTANDING WOMEN ARE OUR 2013 IN HER FOOTSTEPS HONOREES

Two remarkable women from the world of volleyball and softball will be honored by ProMOTION Plus on October 22 at the annual In Her Footsteps event at the Vancouver Lawn Tennis and Badminton Club.

The Celebrating BC Women in Sport event will honor long-time softball athlete/coach/builder JO MATHIESON of North Vancouver and volleyball coach/builder SANDY SILVER of Vancouver.

The event honors women who are or have been athletes, coaches, officials, judges, pioneers or advocates who have made significant contributions to girls and women in sport. These women have created opportunities for participation in sport and recreation in British Columbia, inspiring others through their own athletic achievement, passion and dedication. Their stories are featured in the In Her Footsteps exhibit at the BC Sports Hall of Fame.

JO MATHIESON – ATHLETE/COACH/BUILDER

Jo Mathieson has dedicated much of her life to softball in BC, as an athlete, coach and builder. Jo’s lifelong obsession with the game began in 1947. She went on to compete in the first ever Canada Summer games in 1969 and has won countless medals at Provincials, Westerns and Nationals. After Jo retired from playing competitively, she continued in the Lynn Valley Ladies league while raising her family. She then began the next phase of her career, coaching many teams throughout the Lower Mainland. She challenged these teams to reach their greatest potential and lead them to countless championships across the country. Over the past five years Jo has continued to create new opportunities and breaking boundaries for women when she started the first all-women Slo-Pitch over-55 league. Jo was named the 1982 Softball BC Coach of the Year, has coached at the past nine BC Summer Games, was made an Honorary Lifetime Member of Softball BC and has been inducted into the Softball BC Hall of Fame.

SANDY SILVER – COACH/BUILDER

Sandy Silver has been a leader, a coach and a builder in the sport of volleyball for over 40 years. Head coach at Seneca College, York University and UBC, she was also Assistant Coach for the Canadian Women’s Volleyball Team. Since the late 1980s and to this day, Sandy has stayed very active in volleyball at the BC, regional and national level as a Director of the BC Volleyball Association and chair of their Coaches Committee, as the Convenor of the Canada West Universities Athletic Association men’s and women’s Volleyball Program and as an ongoing mentor coach to numerous past and present intercollegiate women coaches.

Throughout her career, Sandy has worked to bring about positive change in the sport system. She has been outspoken in her support of the need for women coaches, opportunities for women athletes and the need for more women in sport administration. She also worked hard to ensure women’s sports received appropriate funding and that policies designed to create a safe and supportive environment for young athletes were developed and implemented across the sport system in Canada.

In Her Footsteps is an annual recognition program organized jointly by ProMOTION Plus, BC Sports Hall of Fame and then BC Centre of Excellence for Women’s Health.

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