Women in Sports Conference

Edited by Jenna Albaroudi

On Wednesday, February 22, students participating in many different sports attended the 17th Annual Women in Sports Conference at Mariners Church. Many schools all across Orange County gathered to talk about the empowerment of girls’ athletics in our world today. The conference showcased extraordinary speakers who shared their personal experiences from success to failure in their athletic career.

The first speaker, Aubree Munro, attended Brea Olinda High School in Orange County. Aubree shared her experience as a softball athlete and her journey to success. Her main point was to be “Born Ready” which was inspired by her grandfather who pushed her everyday to be the best athlete she could be. She shares her most valued lesson as an athlete, “know your circle”, meaning that you need to believe in yourself and listen to the right people.

The second speaker, Kim Karr, spoke about the consequences of social media in an athlete’s career. She stated that social media should be used to empower and encourage others,

adding that the person you are should be the same online and offline and that privacy is key to your protection. She hosted interactive activities with conference attendees to point out the image that social media can present. She used an example about a girl whole scholarship was revoked after admission directors noticed her inappropriate social media presence. Bottom line… be kind and be careful what you post on social media because it could have consequences.

The third speaker, Dr. Julie Shaw, spoke about being vulnerable and genuine on and off the court. Julie played Division 1 basketball and her success led her to competing in Portugal. However following that trip, she dealt with many personal struggles including battling eye cancer and accepting that she was gay. At first, she wrestled with her appearance but later realized that beauty comes from within. She is now affiliated with the #betrue campaign with the sportswear brand, Nike, which advocates for LGBT rights in America.

Our last speaker, Jami Marseilles shared her story of her journey to compete in the Boston Marathon. Jami explained that when she was 18 and on her way home from a ski trip, she got into an accident and had to live in her car for 11 days before she was rescued. Once reaching the hospital, her legs had to be amputated due to frostbite. After the accident, she wanted to return to exercising, so she began to train to run in marathons. In April 2016, she became the first bi-lateral (below the knee) woman amputee to finish The Boston Marathon.

The Women in Sports Conference was both empowering and inspiring. The speakers' testimonies motivated the girls to keep following their dreams as an athlete, reminding them to not let any excuses get in their way.