Women in Sport Science
WiSS

Women in Sport Science

  • New UpdateWISS APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.

The Women in Sport Science (WiSS) Mentorship Program has been designed to provide women sport scientists, particularly in disciplines where there is currently a lack of gender equity, the opportunity to engage with mentors in order to advance their career development and gain industry knowledge that will contribute to Canada’s high-performance sport environment.

Our Purpose

The WiSS Mentorship Program aims to provide women sport scientists in high performance sport with opportunities to:

  • Build a support network
  • Broaden their understanding of sport science leadership
  • Learn from others’ experiences, challenges, and successes
  • Develop a career plan, identify personal strengths and areas for improvement
  • Contribute to the advancement of women sport scientists in the Canadian sport system
Eligibility

Participants are selected based on their desire to advance their careers and their leadership opportunities, as well as their current and future contributions to the Canadian high performance sport system.

Eligibility criteria are as follows:

  1. HP Certified or Professional member with Sport Scientist Canada.
  2. Identify as a woman in good standing with relevant certification body for a sport science or sport medicine discipline in Canada.
  3. Be a practitioner working on, or towards, a leadership role in the Canadian high performance sport system.
    1. Employed or contracted by COPSIN, NSO, or MSO
    2. Working with a pool of Olympic, Paralympic or *NextGen athletes
  4. Committed to advancing their career in the Canadian sport system in the future.
  5. Priority will be given to women in sport science & medicine disciplines where there is currently a lack of gender equity, especially at a leadership level. These include, but not limited to strength & conditioning, biomechanics, and data science.
  6. Be comfortable reading, speaking, and learning in English.

* NextGen definition: athletes identified by the NSO using their validated Podium Pathway who are 5-8 years away from achieving a performance required for a podium result at a subsequent Olympic/Paralympic Games.

Practitioner Development Committee Members:
  • Michael Cook (Chair) – Volleyball Canada
  • Jenn Joyce – Rugby Canada
  • Sue Lott – CSI-P/Athletics Canada
  • Will George – CSI-O
  • Bryan Yu – CSI-Alberta
  • Kerry MacDonald-Volleyball Canada
  • Mireille Landry-Skate Canada/CSI-O/Athletics Canada
  • Laura Isherwood-CSI-P
  • Veronique Boudreault – Sherbrooke University
Facilitators:
  • Judy Riege – Mentoring Mentors
  • Guest Speakers – Dr. Penny Werthner – University of Calgary
Application Information:
WiSS Cohort #7 applications are now closed.

WiSS will now run every 2 years.

Apply Now
Program Structure:

The WiSS program is a 6-month mentorship program designed to help women sport scientists build a support network and broaden their understanding of sport science leadership. Mentees will be paired with a mentor with the aim of building a career plan and identifying personal strengths and areas for improvement. The program provides a guide for the mentee/mentor pairing including facilitator presentations and guided discussions both in-person (at the kickoff event) and online throughout the 6-month period. While the program will provide a general guide, the mentee is expected to drive their own experience with their mentor and take ownership of individual outcomes or goals they wish to accomplish while in the program.

Please note the WiSS Mentorship Program is not meant to provide sport science discipline-specific content, training or mentorship. We routinely encourage mentees to be paired with a mentor from another sport science discipline to broaden their experience and understanding of the Canadian High Performance Sport System.

Date Topic Format
September 12th, 2025 Mentee/Mentor pairings confirmed Via Email
September 16th, 2025 Mentorship Masterclass (Mentors only) 11am-12:30pm MST
October 1-3, 2025 WiSS Kickoff Event In-person (Calgary, AB) – mandatory for participants
October 22nd, 2025 Lead with Confidence/Your Energy is Everything Virtual Session #1 (11am-12:30pm MST)
November 12th, 2025 Setting Boundaries: A Mentor Panel Discussion Virtual Session #2 (11am-12:30pm MST)
December 2025 1:1 sessions with Judy (Mentees only) Virtual Individual Session – Book individually
January 15, 2026 Leading Self in Conflict of Challenging Situations Virtual Session #3 (11-12:30pm MST)
February (mid) 2026 – To be confirmed A Career Journey in Sport – Dr. Penny Werthner – Guest Speaker Virtual Session #4 (online, time TBD)
March 10th, 2026 Reflection and Wrap-up Session Virtual Session #5 (11-12:30pm MST)

As a mentee in the WiSS program I began to develop tools for leading, and skills for engaging in healthy conflict within a community that strives for growth and values vulnerability.

Lauren Milatz, MSc., CSCSStrength and Conditioning Coach, CSI Pacific

Participating in WiSS as a mentor has shifted my professional perspective. Female leadership is critical for developing world leading practice in sport science and sport medicine.

Sharleen Hoar, PhD., CMPC, HPC (Senior Practitioner)Mental Performance Lead, CSI Pacific

Being a mentee has allowed me to be more confident in my current role, set higher objectives for myself and has helped me discover opportunities that I was not previously aware of. My mentor helped me by guiding me in ways to enhance my toolset which increased my confidence when put in challenging situations, helped me broaden my professional network and is someone who I can get insight from when dealing with an unfamiliar situation. The mentee experience is something that I am truly grateful for and has allowed me to become a better professional in my current role.

Tiffany HuntingIST Medical Lead and Head Therapist, Judo Canada

The WiSS program was a unique opportunity to build a strong network of sport scientists and a durable relationship with an awesome mentor. It was also the occasion to hit pause on a busy professional life to ask important questions: why am I working as a sport scientist, where am I going, what do I need to develop to get there, etc.

Myriam Paquette, PhD. Exercise Physiologist
Interested in becoming a mentor?

We are building a pool of mentors!
The Women in Sport Science program is designed to support mentees in advancing their careers, building their support network, learning from others’ experiences, and to further their development in high performance sport in Canada. Your support is appreciated.

  • Mentors must be members of Sport Scientist Canada.
  • Mentors must complete the CONNECT module prior to beginning the program.
  • Mentors will be paired with a mentee in the field of sport science and meet with them regularly throughout the program (bi-weekly or monthly).
  • Full participation in all online programs is required.
  • Attendance at the in-person kick-off event is mandatory.
  • Mentors will receive an honorarium in recognition of their commitment to the program.

We’ve enhanced the program for our mentors this fall!  In addition to the above requirements, mentors will also experience a targeted development approach.

All Mentors will attend an exclusive, pre WiSS kick-off, Mentorship Masterclass with the course facilitator. Following this, Mentors will develop their own learning outcomes, track their progression of these learning outcomes through a novel approach, and have a 1:1 meeting with the course facilitator.

We feel it is critical that our mentors also benefit from this unique learning experience as they and the mentee’s progress through the course.

Express your interest as a mentor below.

Expressions of interest are accepted year-round. If you are a potential match for a selected mentee, you will be contacted directly to gauge availability and interest.
Express Your Interest Here
Frequently Asked Questions