International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating women's equality.
About
Hart House and the Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education present the short film "She Carries On" centreing women in sport and physical activity hosted by KPE Professor Caroline Fusco and Hart House Senior Director Michelle Brownrigg followed by a discussion with a panel of academic and organizational leaders.
"She Carries On"
The documentary short "She Carries On" focuses on Indigenous women's engagement with and reclaiming of a traditional sporting activity within the community. Among the Cherokee people in North Carolina, the cultural tradition of stickball exemplifies “more than a game”. Cherokee women played the game at the turn of the 21st century for several years and reflect on their time playing and what the game means to the past, present, and future of Cherokee people.
Timeline of the day
- 11:50 am Registration opens – Guests welcomed
- 12:00 pm Lunch available
- 12:15 pm Welcome remarks – Dave Kim
- 12:20 pm Introduction to Film – Caroline Fusco
- 12:25 pm Film – "She Carries On"
- 12:45 pm Panel Introduction – Michelle Brownrigg
- 1:15 pm Audience Q & A
Panelists
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Michelle Brownrigg
Senior Director, Co-Curricular Education & Chief Program Officer
Michelle Brownrigg is a Senior Director and Chief Program Officer for Hart House at the University of Toronto. Hart House is a cultural and wellness centre at the University of Toronto: a place that welcomes both campus and community to explore a wide array of learning, cultural and recreational activities and events. Michelle works with an interdisciplinary team who oversee initiatives that foster civic and community engagement, various forms of arts expression, and support overall health and wellness. This work involves a broad scope of programming engaging with many partners, and with a focus on considering who has historically been under represented and underserved at Hart House and the University of Toronto. Prior to her role at Hart House, Michelle was the Director of Physical Activity and Equity at UofT in the Faculty of Physical and Health Education, and has a long history of work in the non-profit and charitable sector including a term as CEO of Active Healthy Kids Canada. She was the Executive Manager of Projects & Public Affairs for Ophea and served as the Strategic Communications & Knowledge Management consultant for the Laidlaw Foundation, which focused on youth engagement strategies in relation to arts & culture, recreation, environmental justice and social inclusion. Michelle was a member of the Faculty of Health at York University and has been an independent consultant in various areas of sport, health, and community engagement.
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Caroline Fusco
Associate Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education
Caroline Fusco is an associate professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education whose research engages eco-feminist, anti-colonial, cultural geography, and critical animal studies perspectives. Caroline’s research was instrumental in The Change Room Project, which raised awareness about the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in locker rooms. This project garnered a Award of Excellence in Integration for Leadership in Research and Knowledge Translation and a U of T’s Excellence Through Innovation Award. Her current research is entitled ‘sports should not cost the earth’. Drawing on principles of feminist social and ecological justice and interspecies equity-based sustainability, she is interrogating the relationships between sport spaces, consumption, and ‘more-than-human’ ecologies. This study connects questions about the environment, biodiversity loss and industrial animal agriculture to sport entertainment. Caroline loves walking in Toronto’s parks, ravines, and lakefront spaces with her two golden retrievers Seamus & Quinn, going to Blue Jays games and gardening.
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Dr. Tricia McGuire-Adams
Dr. Tricia McGuire-Adams is an Anishinaabekwe from Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek in the Robinson Superior Treaty territory. She conducts community-driven research in Indigenous health and wellbeing and is passionate about fostering decolonization through physical activity. Dr. McGuire-Adams is an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education. To date, she has secured 2.7 million dollars in funding as Principal Investigator in support of her program of research, which uses Indigenous research methodologies to study Indigenous health, wellbeing, and physical activity from an Indigenous decolonization and resurgence frameworks.
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Sabrina Razack
Sabrina is the Canada Project Lead for the project "Promoting the Rights of Children in the 2026 FIFA World Cup". The role involves working collaboratively with host cities to develop and implement opportunities for active child citizenship. The intention of the project is to increase capacity and affect change through awareness of child rights and safeguarding in sports. She is also an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, University of Toronto and has previously worked with Canadian Women & Sport and the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games. Her PhD thesis involved a case study of the Black Girl Hockey Club and examined the intersections of physical activity, sport, social movements, media, race, gender, class and culture. Sabrina is an award winning curriculum writer, and developed “Beyond a Boundary”, a web-platform aimed to engage educators, parents and organizations seeking curriculum designed to provide diverse perspectives and understandings of the world.
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Vanessa Treasure
Director, Fitness, Wellness and Recreation
My passion for physical activity blossomed from a 15-year athletic career in competitive swimming. From competing locally in my hometown of Mississauga, Ontario, to representing Canada on the international stage, I loved every second of the journey. Through my involvement in sport, I learned the true meaning of sacrifice, determination, and perseverance. These skills have been applicable in my life in so many more ways than athletic performance.
I completed a degree in Kinesiology at the University of Toronto while also being a member of the Varsity Blues swim team. The most profound thing I took away from my University Career was the incredible impact that physical activity can have on every aspect of my life. Testing my body in the pool taught me who I am as a person, shaped my confidence, showed me to an amazing social circle, taught me to take care of my teammates and worked wonders on my mental health.
I have experienced the life changing benefits of physical activity from the lense of an athlete, a coach, entrepreneur, Manager and Director at U of T. I work in the fitness industry but I stand firm in that my true role is to use physical activity to change lives and that is my daily motivation.
Presented By
