Candice Goudie Appointed as New President of Sport Calgary
Candice Goudie has been named the new president of Sport Calgary, a non-profit municipal council dedicated to advocating for sports in the city. This appointment follows the departure of former president Catriona Le May Doan in late last year, marking a significant leadership transition for the organization.
Goudie's Background and Vision
Goudie began her tenure with Sport Calgary in 2007, steadily rising through the ranks to become an executive director of its community investment wing. With nearly two decades of experience in the sports sector, her appointment was the result of an extensive recruitment process led by Calgary firm DHR Global, which vetted candidates from across Canada and globally.
In a recent statement, Goudie emphasized her commitment to keeping sports a priority in the community. "I would say my role in everything I do is to keep sport a priority," she said. "Sport should be a right. It shouldn't just be something that's nice to have. Sport—and how I define sport is being active—needs to be a part of everybody's life."
Continuing a Legacy of Advocacy
Goudie takes over after more than nine years of leadership under Catriona Le May Doan, a four-time Winter Olympian in speedskating with two gold medals and a bronze. During her tenure, Le May Doan championed initiatives to make sports more accessible for everyone and worked to change the culture to end harassment, discrimination, and abuse in sports environments.
Key achievements under Le May Doan's leadership include:
- Implementation of the Civic Sport for Life policy, aimed at removing barriers to sports participation.
- Significant growth in the All Sport One Community initiative, which saw a 700% increase in participation by 2025, offering free sports trials for youth ages six to 17 in a fun, stress-free environment.
- Expansion into the All Sport, One City program, a 10-day initiative providing families with free access to over 270 sport discovery sessions across dozens of city facilities.
These efforts culminated in events like the inaugural Winter Festival, a Family Day celebration at the Olympic Oval that allowed participants to try skating and other winter sports for free.
Unanimous Support and Future Goals
Jason Ribeiro, board chair of Sport Calgary, highlighted that Goudie was the unanimous selection by both the recruitment committee and the board of directors. "Candice was the unanimous selection, not only of our recruitment committee, but also a unanimous selection that was approved by our board of directors," Ribeiro said. "So I think that speaks to not only Candice's performance during the interview process, but also the work that she's done over nearly two decades in sport, in this community, in Calgary."
Ribeiro added that Goudie's management experience and decade-long leadership in charitable initiatives make her an ideal fit for the role. He envisions her leadership embodying a "Yes, and..." approach, focusing on continued advocacy for safe sports and expanding access to underserved communities.
"Yes, we are going to continue to advocate for safe sport, yes, and we're going to continue to bring sport to underserved communities," Ribeiro explained. "At the core of everything we do, I think Candice is going to take a particular focus on the value proposition of becoming a member of Sport Calgary. And while we have thousands of members, I think we want to welcome thousands more."
Goudie expressed optimism about the future, stating, "We're in a great position. Taking over in this chair, I'm really looking forward to working with the sector, and the organization within it on creative collaboration and innovative solutions... the sector is so important to many people in the city, and I'm excited to work with the people in it and outside of it to make it better and continue to drive forward."
As Sport Calgary moves forward under new leadership, the organization remains committed to its mission of promoting sports accessibility and community engagement, building on a strong foundation of past successes.
