Hi everyone,
For this month’s President’s Corner, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and talk about why I volunteered to be on our Club’s Board of Directors.
I began running with the Ottawa Lions in June 2016, shortly after I found out that I had been accepted to start my PhD at the University of Ottawa. I’d recently returned to Ottawa after completing my law degree and, although I’d only been a recreational runner, wanted to improve my time in the half-marathon. I felt as though I’d come as far as I could on my own, so I emailed the Club and, shortly thereafter, started attending weekly practices.
Although it wasn’t what I expected – I thought I’d be working on my long runs and ended up doing 5km races on the track at Twilight meets – I was hooked. And so, at the age of 30, I entered the world of competitive varsity athletics. By the time the first year of my PhD started, I lived for practices, enjoyed the thrill of competition and was excited to see my times improving. I welcomed the break from studying and work, and my teammates quickly became my friends – many of whom I’m still close with today.
The reason that I share this with you is that being part of the Club and competing as a varsity athlete is what kept me in my PhD program. My first semester was tough, really tough – and I thought about dropping out, but I knew that if I did, I’d have to leave the world of varsity athletics too. And now, just over five years later, as I approach the completion of my doctorate, I can honestly say that running and the Ottawa Lions are, at least in part, to thank. It’s for this reason that I applied to be on our Club’s Board of Directors back in 2019. This Club – our Club – has had such a huge impact on my life and I wanted to give back.
I know that not everyone has had the same experience as I have and my heart breaks for anyone who has been hurt by the actions of those who have been involved with the Club in the past. We cannot hide from our past – nor are we. But, I firmly believe that we are moving forward and doing better.
Being a part of the Ottawa Lions, first as an athlete and now as a member of the Board of Directors, has taught me that our Club offers something unique to our community, to our city and to our key partners. I’m continuously inspired by our dedicated staff, volunteers, coaches, and officials who make our programs and events possible, and by our passionate athletes who make the sport of track and field a priority and commit countless hours to training, travelling and competition. This is what our Club is about.
Our mission as a Club is to provide all members with a positive, inclusive Track & Field experience, free from harassment and discrimination, that nurtures and inspires athletic performance and excellence and raises the profile and prestige of Track & Field. Together, I believe that we can achieve this. I would encourage you to reach out to share your ideas and experiences, or let us know if you are interested in helping out with the Club.
I hope to see many of you at the track this summer and look forward to keeping you updated on the work of the Board of Directors.
Sincerely,
Jenn
—
Jennifer Dumoulin
President, Board of Directors
Ottawa Lions Track & Field Club
president@ottawalions.com