Photo Credit – Dan Harper
WINNIPEG, MB–The 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has chosen Dr. Sandra Kirby UWinnipeg Associate Vice-President (Academic) and Dean of Graduate Studies as the only Canadian selected to umpire at the Paralympic Games in London, United Kingdom from August 28 – September 3, 2012. Kirby is an Olympic Athlete from the 1976 Games in rowing. Kirby has a strong history with the games not only as an athlete but as an internationally recognized expert, researcher and advocate on child protection in sports.
“It is an honour and privilege to be selected to serve at the Olympic Games,” said Kirby. “This completes a circle of Olympic involvement for me starting as an athlete at the 1976 Olympic Games. Since then I have worked on gender and sport equity, child protection in sport, and eradication of gender verification testing.”
The manner of selection to umpire at Olympic and Paralympic Games is competitive. To be eligible for consideration, an umpire must hold a FISA (Federation Internationale des Societes Aviron), have a successful umpiring record internationally and be an active rowing umpire on the national level in Canada. FISA makes decisions based on experience and skill.
“Dr. Kirby has been recognized as leader and mentor as an athlete representing Canada and as a researcher with the University,” said UWinnipeg President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Lloyd Axworthy. “We are proud to have her playing on our academic team and for her commitment and advocacy on child protection in sports that have contributed to a better playing field for children in sports.”
Sandra Kirby’s Biography
An athlete for Canada at the 1976 Olympic Games, Kirby has a strong history in sports. Since 1980 onwards she through her research has worked diligently on gender and sport equity, child protection in sport, and eradication of systematic gender verification testing in time for the implementation at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg in 1999.
Through advocacy by committed individuals like Kirby, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) abandoned the widespread use of sex tests for the women athletes. Over this past decade she continues her work as a researcher, partly with the IOC, on child protection in sport.
As an Olympic athlete, she was selected to carry the Olympic torch in the torch run prior to the Whistler 2010 Olympic Games.
