Dalhousie University hosted the 13th annual Women in Leadership Spotlight Dinner on November 30 at the Student Union Building.

The event covered stories of women who have inspired Dal student-athletes and acknowledged their efforts in leadership positions and their communities.

Men's volleyball player Sartaj Sidhu and men's cross country and track & field member Aidan Goslett kicked the night off, sharing stories about their mothers. Each of their mothers inspired and influenced them greatly.

Goslett’s mother became the first person in her family to attend university. A runner herself, she has completed the Boston Marathon. She grew up in a two-bedroom house with seven siblings.

When she was 29, she gave birth to Goslett’s older brother and lost her first husband two years later to cancer.

“I look up to her because during this difficult time as a single mother, she transitioned careers and was resilient and courageous enough to start her own business, which allowed her to work from home while taking care of my brother," says Goslett.

Sidhu’s mother left her family and homeland for a better life in Canada. Sidhu says she “sacrificed everything.”

She’s also a breast cancer survivor. During her battle, Sidhu says his mother kept a smile and showed strength to her family.

“The older that I get, the more I learn to appreciate her, and I know I'll continue to learn to appreciate her more as my life goes on. Thank you, Mom, and I love you,” says Sidhu.

Sydney Guker-Wickie of the women’s basketball team and Kasandra Trenke of the women’s volleyball team were the MC’s on the night.

“Our goal is to celebrate women in leadership positions in the community and to promote the role that sports and academics play in developing confidence and success among women as well as showcase our Dalhousie athletes,” says Trenke.

Athletic Director Tim Maloney and women’s soccer head coach and Associate Director Cindy Tye then stepped into the spotlight.

Maloney spoke about his mother and how she has impacted his life.

“I feel fortunate to have her and having her had such a huge influence on who I am both as a person and as a professional,” says Maloney, who added she had an undeniable work ethic in everything she did.

When Tye was 14, she played for her first all-girls team. When she joined the team, she found others who were just as passionate about sports as her. Tye is still connected with them now.

“I look up to them because they are intelligent, talented and resilient,” says Tye. “Despite our differences, and we're all very different, they've always accepted me for who I was. They gave me a place to belong.”

RBC's regional vice president of business financial services, Kellie Sauriol, shared the experiences of women in leadership she has worked with.

"I consider myself really fortunate to work with an extremely experienced, competent, professional group of leaders, many of which are women, including my boss,” says Sauriol.

Special guest Melanie Clarke (BA’06), a Dal alumna and former women’s soccer team member,

shared her inspiring story of becoming a leader through sport.

“Sport can give you a voice and then provide you with a platform to use that voice. It's up to you to decide whether or not you embrace that challenge,” says Clarke.

Off the field, Clarke has continued to be a powerful leader in her community as a founding member of the Black Wellness Co-Operative.

“We emphasize community togetherness,” says Clarke. “This is one of the things I am most proud of to be able to pass on to people the joy of participating in something that was made with them in mind.”

A two-time AUS First Team All-Star, Clarke quickly realized she belonged in sports.

“Sports showed me what I was missing in the rest of my life. It showed me there are spaces where I could be my whole self.” says Clarke. “I learned that if I could excel in sport, I can excel anywhere.”

In 2018, Clarke was diagnosed with breast cancer months after the birth of her son.

“It is a devastating thing to be diagnosed with a disease that kills, especially when you have a baby or one year old at home, and you don't know what's in store for you and your future,” says Clarke.

Being under 40 years of age, discovering a lump on her breast came as a shock.

“I made the choice to be really vocal about my experience,” says Clarke. “I did that because as tough as it was, my goal was to inform people that it is possible to be diagnosed under the age of 40.”

She finished her speech with words about the ones who hold the future of sport.

“I do hope that through the ups and downs of your relationship with sport, you will always keep your door open to the challenges the community and the potential for growth that sport can offer you,” says Clarke.

Two separate panels made up of student-athletes and coaches took the stage. They gave their experiences of being leaders in sports.

“I think being a leader is really hard, and not everybody can be a leader,” says Simona Matic, a first-year science major from Belgrade, Serbia. “First of all, you have to be confident and know what you are doing and then have the ability to show that and communicate with other people but also show that in action.”

The event ended after Dalhousie signed the Anti-Racism Charter in Recreation, created by Recreation Nova Scotia. The charter provides unifying guidelines for recreation to address and combat systemic racism.