According to data obtained from the Coaching Association of Canada, 19% of Canada’s Olympic coaches and 31% of our Paralympic coaches at the Paris 2024 Games identify as women. Although these numbers are disappointingly low, the women coached with distinction, and the Journal proudly features eight of them in our next two issues.

In our January issue, we shine the spotlight on Olympic coaches Jocelyn Barrieau and Kim Gaucher and Paralympic coaches Carolyn Murray and Nicole Ban. Watch for the April issue for conversations with Paralympic coaches Carla Nicholls and Michele Sung and Olympic coaches Catharine Pendrel and Laura Brown. Their openness, wisdom, commitment to their athletes, and love for their sports offer essential lessons for all who are committed to growing the ranks of women coaches in Canada.

The International Olympic Committee on Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion reported the statistics for women coaches as 11% in Rio and 13% in both Tokyo and Paris. A hopeful note for women coaches is the significant improvement in women International Technical Officials from 18% in Rio to 32% in Tokyo and 37% in Paris. At the time of writing, statistics on 2024 women coaches are not yet available from the International Paralympic Committee. – Sheila Robertson, Journal Editor

The Conversations have been edited and condensed.

The views expressed in the articles of the Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching are those of the authors and do not reflect the policies of the Coaching Association of Canada.