Celebrating Canadian Women in Sport

In recognition of International Women’s Day, the Sport Equity and Justice team wanted to showcase several Canadian women who served as trailblazers and icons in their respective sports. Whether they were pioneers of their respective sports or individuals who have elevated the game to unprecedented heights, these women have achieved what was thought to be unachievable, attained what was thought to be unattainable, and made possible what was thought to be impossible. And in doing so, these women have paved the way for future generations to pursue their dreams. Of course, we recognize that there are many others who also deserve recognition beyond this brief list.

Barbara Ann Scott

Barbara Ann Scott immediately proved to be world-class when she emerged onto the skating scene. At the age of 10, Scott passed the Gold Medal Test, making her the youngest Canadian to accomplish the feat. Scott became the first Canadian to win the European Figure Skating Championship in 1947, and when she successfully defended her title in 1948, that victory served as a catalyst for the competition to restrict itself to only include European skaters from then onwards. In that same year, Scott won Olympic gold and won the World Figure Skating championship, making her the first North American to win all three in the same year.

Her iconic title, “Canada’s Sweetheart,” came from being the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in any sport.

Nancy Greene Raine 

Nancy Greene Raine is one of the most successful skiers to have ever competed. When the inaugural FIS Alpine Ski World Cup took place in 1967 in the form of a series of races taking place in various countries, Greene emerged as the overall winner and repeated as World Cup champion in 1968. To this day, Greene remains the only Canadian ever to win the overall World Cup, and twice at that. Following her dominant performances, Greene won Olympic gold in the 1968 Winter Olympics. Greene was voted Canada’s top athlete two years in a row, and in 1999, the Canadian Press named her Canada’s Female Athlete of the 20th century. In 2009, Greene was appointed to the Senate of Canada.

Chantal Petitclerc

Petitclerc suffered an accident as a teenager that cost her the use of her legs. Despite this, Petitclerc pushed through adversity and became a legendary Paralympic athlete. Petitclerc won the women’s 800m wheelchair race, which was the first wheelchair event medal to count toward a country’s official tally in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Petitclerc became the first athlete with a disability to carry the Canadian flag at the 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony. By the end of her Paralympics career, Petitclerc won a whopping 21 Paralympic medals, with 14 of them being gold medals. In 2016, Petitclerc was appointed to the Senate of Canada.

Christine Sinclair

Christine Sinclair scored more international goals than any other player in the world, which includes men and women. That fact alone highlights the importance of Sinclair to the sport of soccer. After winning bronze in the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics, Sinclair led Team Canada to Olympic gold in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2012, Sinclair became the first soccer player to win the Northern Star Award (formerly known as the Lou Marsh Trophy). Other than Brazilian legend Marta, Sinclair is the only other woman to score at five FIFA World Cup tournaments. Sinclair means so much to Canadian soccer that the Canada Soccer Heritage and Hall of Fame Committee waived the five-year waiting period after retirement, allowing Sinclair to lead the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame’s Class of 2025.

Kia Nurse

When Kia Nurse committed to play with UConn, she immediately became a key part of UConn’s NCAA titles in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, Nurse led Canada to their first-ever gold at the Pan American Games and their first victory in 20 years at the FIBA AmeriCup. In 2017, Nurse was vital in Canada’s successful gold medal defence at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup. In the 2018 WNBA draft, Nurse was taken fifth overall, and in 2019, she was named a starter for the WNBA All-Star Game, making her the third Canadian ever to play in the All-Star Game. Now, Nurse plays for the Chicago Sky of the WNBA, and also features as a basketball analyst on TSN.

Marie-Philip Poulin

Nicknamed “Captain Clutch”, Poulin has established herself as one of the best hockey players in the world, both internationally and in the PWHL. Poulin has won Olympic gold with Canada three times. Her nickname comes from scoring the game-winning goals in three Olympic gold medal games. In 2022, Poulin became the first female hockey player to win the Northern Star award. In 2025, she was the International Ice Hockey Federation Female Player of the Year. Poulin’s impact on the game of hockey goes beyond the ice rink, as she was cited to have an important voice in the development of the PWHL. 

Summer McIntosh

McIntosh already made headlines when she was one of the youngest athletes to compete for Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, competing at the age of 14.  In fact, she finished fourth in women’s 400-metre freestyle, breaking the Canadian record. In the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, McIntosh won four individual medals, three of them being gold, making her the first Canadian to win three gold medals at a single Summer Olympics. McIntosh has already cemented herself as one of Canada’s most successful swimmers of all time, despite only competing in two Olympics so far. There is no doubt that all eyes will be on her in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics.

Jessica Campbell

As a hockey player, Campbell made her debut and won gold with the Canadian national team at the 2014 4 Nations Cup, which is a tournament where Canada, the United States, Finland, and Sweden compete against each other. After retiring, Campbell moved to coaching, where she was notably hired as an assistant coach to the Coachella Valley Firebirds, which was the NHL team Seattle Kraken’s AHL affiliate. During Campbell’s time as assistant coach for the Firebirds, the Firebirds reached consecutive Calder Cup finals, while being a top-3 offence. Campbell’s success in the Firebirds led to the Seattle Kraken hiring her as an assistant coach in 2024, making Campbell the first woman to be a coach in the NHL.