Welcome to another episode of the Sporting Change Podcast!

Today’s guest is Canadian beach volleyball player Sophie Bukovec, who became the first ever full time beach volleyball athlete in Canada. She first broke onto the scene in 2014, winning gold at the U21 World Championships—making history as the first Canadian woman to do so—alongside Tiadora Miric. Since then, she’s climbed the ranks of the international beach volleyball world, partnering with some of the sport’s biggest Canadian names and competing on stages around the globe.

Most recently, Sophie teamed up with Olympic veteran Heather Bansley. Less than a year after their first match together, they won the NORCECA Olympic Qualifier in 2024, punching their ticket to the Paris Olympics. Along the way, the pair also earned podium finishes in Brazil and Mexico, showing just how quickly they clicked on court. Before that, Sophie had a standout season with Brandie Wilkerson, taking silver at the 2022 World Championships in only their fifth tournament together.

Her journey began in indoor volleyball at McMaster University, but it was in beach volleyball where Sophie found her stride. After transferring to Long Beach State, she eventually landed at the University of Southern California, where she helped USC win back-to-back NCAA Beach Volleyball Championships in 2016 and 2017, serving as team captain and earning All-American honours.

Off the court, Sophie is a self proclaimed foodie and cat lover! She also loves to give back to her volleyball community… She’s the founder and executive director of The Northern Elite, a volleyball academy where she coaches and mentors young athletes. 

On today’s episode, we’re catching up with Sophie to find out what life’s been like since the 2024 Paris Olympics—what she’s been up to, what she’s learned, and how her path from university courts to the national stage has shaped who she is today. We hope you enjoy the show!

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⁠⁠⁠Dare to Care, a trailblazing organization committed to tackling bullying in sports, is now the proud host of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Thanks to their partnership with BRP’s⁠ ⁠⁠Ride out Intimidation⁠⁠⁠ program, Dare to Care’s Sporting Change Podcast can continue to educate and empower sport leaders around the world. 

Please click here or follow us on social media @daretocaresports if you want more information on how to get your free Dare to Care bullying prevention sessions!

Welcome to a special Earth Day edition of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

To honor Earth Day, we believe it’s important to pause and reflect on how climate change is already impacting our sports but also consider how sports themself may be contributing to the crisis. Sport has the power to drive change, but it’s crucial we recognize both its challenges and its potential to lead in sustainability.

We’re excited to be joined by Dr. Madeleine Orr (She/Her), a leading expert in the intersection of sport and sustainability. Originally from Toronto, Dr. Orr has lived and worked across the globe, from France to the UK, the USA, Brazil, and China. After years of international experience, she’s now back in her hometown..

Dr. Orr is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, and the Founder & Co-Director of The Sport Ecology Group. Her research focuses on climate vulnerability and adaptation within sport organizations, with a particular emphasis on the roles athletes and sport media can play in communicating climate messages to the broader public.

In addition to her academic work, Dr. Orr has received numerous accolades, including being named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2021, Corporate Knights 30 Under 30 in Sustainability Leadership, and much more. She’s a public speaker and a fierce advocate for integrating climate action into the sports world.

Thanks for tuning in as we try to answer this question in today’s episode—

Is the world of sport ready for climate change?

Let’s get into it!

To contact Maddy, check out: https://www.sportecology.org/about-seg

Her book: Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport

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⁠⁠⁠Dare to Care, a trailblazing organization committed to tackling bullying in sports, is now the proud host of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Thanks to their partnership with BRP’s⁠ ⁠⁠Ride out Intimidation⁠⁠⁠ program, Dare to Care’s Sporting Change Podcast can continue to educate and empower sport leaders around the world. 

Please click here or follow us on social media @daretocaresports if you want more information on how to get your free Dare to Care bullying prevention sessions!

Welcome to a special Earth Day edition of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

To honor Earth Day, we believe it’s important to pause and reflect on how climate change is already impacting our sports but also consider how sports themself may be contributing to the crisis. Sport has the power to drive change, but it’s crucial we recognize both its challenges and its potential to lead in sustainability.

We’re excited to be joined by Dr. Madeleine Orr (She/Her), a leading expert in the intersection of sport and sustainability. Originally from Toronto, Dr. Orr has lived and worked across the globe, from France to the UK, the USA, Brazil, and China. After years of international experience, she’s now back in her hometown..

Dr. Orr is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education, and the Founder & Co-Director of The Sport Ecology Group. Her research focuses on climate vulnerability and adaptation within sport organizations, with a particular emphasis on the roles athletes and sport media can play in communicating climate messages to the broader public.

In addition to her academic work, Dr. Orr has received numerous accolades, including being named to Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2021, Corporate Knights 30 Under 30 in Sustainability Leadership, and much more. She’s a public speaker and a fierce advocate for integrating climate action into the sports world.

Thanks for tuning in as we try to answer this question in today’s episode—

Is the world of sport ready for climate change?

Let’s get into it!

To contact Maddy, check out: https://www.sportecology.org/about-seg

Her book: Warming Up: How Climate Change is Changing Sport

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⁠⁠⁠Dare to Care, a trailblazing organization committed to tackling bullying in sports, is now the proud host of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Thanks to their partnership with BRP’s⁠ ⁠⁠Ride out Intimidation⁠⁠⁠ program, Dare to Care’s Sporting Change Podcast can continue to educate and empower sport leaders around the world. 

Please click here or follow us on social media @daretocaresports if you want more information on how to get your free Dare to Care bullying prevention sessions!

Welcome back to the Sporting Change podcast and thanks for tuning in on the second episode of our miniseries, following the Undoing Masculinity Summit that took place last fall!

In today’s episode, we’re tackling a deeply important issue: the link between violence in sport and domestic violence. Many sports cultures, especially in contact sports, normalize aggression, heavy drinking, and toxic behaviors like the “bro code,” which can lead to harmful attitudes and actions both on and off the field. This culture often amplifies issues like sexual violence and domestic abuse, as behaviors tolerated in the locker room spill over into athletes’ personal lives. We’ll explore how the culture of sport can perpetuate violence, why it’s often excused, and what can be done to break the cycle.

Our guest today is joining us from the Queensland University of Technology. We are so happy to welcome Professor Michael Flood, an internationally recognized expert on men, masculinities, and violence prevention. Professor Flood has been a key voice in advancing gender equality and violence prevention, shaping policies and practices aimed at addressing harmful masculinities in sport and beyond. His extensive research has been central to understanding how toxic sports cultures contribute to domestic violence, and today, he’ll help us explore what steps can be taken to make sports safer and more inclusive for all.

Please note, some of the topics discussed in today’s episode may be triggering for some listeners. We encourage you to be in a safe space before continuing with this conversation.

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⁠⁠⁠Dare to Care, a trailblazing organization committed to tackling bullying in sports, is now the proud host of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Thanks to their partnership with BRP’s⁠ ⁠⁠Ride out Intimidation⁠⁠⁠ program, Dare to Care’s Sporting Change Podcast can continue to educate and empower sport leaders around the world. 

Please click here or follow us on social media @daretocaresports if you want more information on how to get your free Dare to Care bullying prevention sessions!

Welcome back to the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Back in October of last year, we were invited to attend the very first “Undoing Masculinity Summit”, which was held in Calgary. The Summit was an international gathering dedicated to reimagining what it means to be a man in today’s world. It brought together scholars, activists, and practitioners from across the globe to address critical conversations around masculinity, focusing on how it can evolve to support gender equity, mental health, and violence prevention.

We are so excited to release a 2 episode miniseries, called Undoing Masculinity, that will welcome 2 amazing researchers from the summit, and will touch on two very important topics that truly affect today's society. 

In today’s part 1, we will explore the influence of misogynist influencers who shape modern masculine ideals. These influencers— who often disguise themselves as motivational figures—present a polished, or fake, version of masculinity, showcasing wealth, womanizing, power, and sculpted bodies as the pinnacle of manhood. With millions of followers, which kind of gives them a false sense of credibility to the eyes of young people, and also algorithms that amplify their content, they have unfortunately become key players in shaping how both young men and women view masculinity.

We’re excited to be joined by Dr. Catherine Baker, a postdoctoral researcher with the Institute for Research on Genders and Sexualities at Dublin City University. She brings a wealth of knowledge on the ways digital spaces shape and reinforce harmful masculine ideals and the impact this has on young audiences. Today, she’ll share her insights on how these online spaces can be navigated safely, and what steps we can take to combat the rise of toxic masculinity in the digital age. 

We hope you enjoy the show.

For extra information, please follow this link! 

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⁠⁠⁠Dare to Care, a trailblazing organization committed to tackling bullying in sports, is now the proud host of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Thanks to their partnership with BRP’s⁠ ⁠⁠Ride out Intimidation⁠⁠⁠ program, Dare to Care’s Sporting Change Podcast can continue to educate and empower sport leaders around the world. 

Please click here or follow us on social media @daretocaresports if you want more information on how to get your free Dare to Care bullying prevention sessions!

Welcome back to another episode of  the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Today's episode is In honor of Black History Month, and we want to reflect on how Black athletes, coaches, and many more have not only shaped the history of sport but have also fought against systemic racism to break barriers. From the rink, to the pool, or the field, their courage and perseverance continue to inspire future generations. This week, we honor those who paved the way and we encourage everyone to celebrate their legacy.

Our guest today is Jamaican-Canadian Craig Brown, and his pronouns are he/him. Craig has a clinical and applied interest in the mental health and wellbeing of marginalized populations. His research involvement has included explorations of newcomer varsity athletes adjusting to life in Winnipeg, as well as coaches working with newcomer athletes in Winnipeg.

Craig is also a research consultant for Anti-Racism in Sport Canada, an organization dedicated to eliminating racism and discrimination in sport through education, research, and public awareness campaigns. 

We’re excited to dive into this important conversation, and we hope you enjoy this episode. Be sure to share it with your friends to spread knowledge and celebrate the powerful legacy of Black History Month.

We hope you enjoy our conversation with Craig as much as we did!

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⁠⁠⁠Dare to Care, a trailblazing organization committed to tackling bullying in sports, is now the proud host of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Thanks to their partnership with BRP’s⁠ ⁠⁠Ride out Intimidation⁠⁠⁠ program, Dare to Care’s Sporting Change Podcast can continue to educate and empower sport leaders around the world. 

Please click here or follow us on social media @daretocaresports if you want more information on how to get your free Dare to Care bullying prevention sessions!

REWIND: In our second rewind episode, we bring you back our very first episode with the amazing Mark Tewksbury to celebrate all of our great leaders and to highlight how far we've come with the Sporting Change Podcast!

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Leadership is defined as the ability for an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide others. At Sporting Change we see coaches, board members, officials, teammates, captains, parents, and even fans as community leaders.

Many of our listeners take on leadership roles and have the power to influence the people around them. For that reason the first Sporting Change episode focuses on the power of positive leadership in the world of diversity, equity and inclusion.

We are extremely fortunate to have one of the first openly gay Olympic Champions in the world and leadership expert Mark Tewksbury joining the podcast.

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⁠⁠⁠Dare to Care, a trailblazing organization committed to tackling bullying in sports, is now the proud host of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Thanks to their partnership with BRP’s⁠ ⁠⁠Ride out Intimidation⁠⁠⁠ program, Dare to Care’s Sporting Change Podcast can continue to educate and empower sport leaders around the world. 

Please click here or follow us on social media @daretocaresports if you want more information on how to get your free Dare to Care bullying prevention sessions!

Today, we’re thrilled to have one of the most accomplished athletes in the swimming world, Olympian and world champion, Maggie Mac Neil.

A native of London, Ontario, Maggie made a name for herself at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she captured the gold medal in the 100-meter butterfly, cementing her place as the fastest women in the world in that event. 

To date, she’s pulled off practically everything there is to achieve in elite swimming. 

Off the blocks, Maggie is just as impressive. She got her degree in psychology from the University of Michigan, where she also swam and set 8 school records, before transferring to LSU, where she completed her Masters in Kinesiology while prepping for the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

Maggie is also a strong advocate for mental health awareness and  she’s been very open about the struggles she had to tackle while facing the immense pressures that came with her success.

In today’s episode, we’ll explore Maggie’s journey from a young swimmer in Ontario to an Olympic champion, the challenges she faced along the way, her insights on the importance of mental health in elite sports, and we’ll discuss her next chapter now that she announced her retirement from competitive swimming!!

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⁠⁠⁠Dare to Care, a trailblazing organization committed to tackling bullying in sports, is now the proud host of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Thanks to their partnership with BRP’s⁠ ⁠⁠Ride out Intimidation⁠⁠⁠ program, Dare to Care’s Sporting Change Podcast can continue to educate and empower sport leaders around the world. 

Please click here or follow us on social media @daretocaresports if you want more information on how to get your free Dare to Care bullying prevention sessions!

Welcome to another episode of the Sporting Change Podcast!

Today, we’re joined by one of Canada’s most decorated Paralympians, swimmer Aurélie Rivard.

 A dominant figure in Para swimming for over a decade,

 Aurélie’s career is nothing short of remarkable. With 19 World Championship medals, she’s the most decorated Canadian woman in Para Swimming World Championships history. She has also won 13 Paralympic medals, including 6 golds.

 If that weren’t enough!! Aurélie has also set multiple world

 Off the pool deck, Aurelie has also been a passionate advocate for bullying prevention. Having faced bullying herself at a young age, she uses her platform to speak out against bullying and to support others going through similar challenges.

We are so excited to have Aurélie on the podcast to talk

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⁠⁠⁠Dare to Care, a trailblazing organization committed to tackling bullying in sports, is now the proud host of the Sporting Change Podcast! 

Thanks to their partnership with BRP’s⁠ ⁠⁠Ride out Intimidation⁠⁠⁠ program, Dare to Care’s Sporting Change Podcast can continue to educate and empower sport leaders around the world. 

Please click here or follow us on social media @daretocaresports if you want more information on how to get your free Dare to Care bullying prevention sessions!

We're excited to re-post Erica Wiebe's episode to honor her

In this episode, we dive into the profound journey of an

Instagram: @eweebz

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This episode of the Sporting Change Podcast was Powered by BRP and Dare to Care's "Tackle Bullying in Sports" program. Thanks to BRP’s⁠ Ride out Intimidation⁠⁠⁠ program, the Sporting Change Podcast can continue to educate and empower sport leaders around the world. This program aims to raise awareness and implement meaningful initiatives on a global scale as they take a stand against intimidation. Dare to Care⁠⁠⁠ is a trailblazing organization committed to tackling bullying in sports not only in Canada, but around the world. Dare to Care is helping sport organizations foster safe and inclusive environments for

 Make sure to click on the Dare to Care link above if you