Erica Wiebe is an accomplished wrestler from Alberta. The 30-year-old athlete is a two-time gold medalist at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and she also won gold at the 2016 Olympic Games. She is currently training to defend her title at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. When Wiebe is not training, she is coaching a junior high wrestling team.
Wiebe has added another job title to her belt: she was recently named the first ever Ambassador for Sport and Active Living. The aim is to promote the value and importance of sport and physical activity to Albertans. The position is newly created in Alberta and Wiebe plans to use her community involvement to advocate for sport, specifically for the under-represented groups in sport such as women and girls.
“I’m really excited to be an advocate for increased opportunities and to allow all Albertans to receive the benefits of sport,” Wiebe said Saturday. “I have learned so many things from sport. I think it’s essential for physical wellness as well as mental wellness.”
In current times, we see a decline in sport participation. The decline can be seen across a variety of groups; Brown and Pappous, for instance, looked at the reasons for why people with disabilities quit partaking in sport. Female sport participation is another example of a group that is seeing a downward trend. Alberta selected an ideal candidate for the position. Wiebe’s plan to focus on minority groups is a step in the right direction to reverse the current trends. Its an added bonus that it is an accomplished female in the position, Wiebe is now a role model that young girls can look up to and strive to be like instead of leaving sport.
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Sport, Not Games ⚽ 