Joy Drop: Celebrating women with an amazing team

This week's Joy Drop entry was facilitated by International Women's Day. It has been a week where women have applauded each other, have recognized the strengths of each other, and also offered space where women need support. This is all a part of celebrating women, the struggles, the triumphs and the strengths — all part of the journey. 

The CBC Sports team is pretty amazing and I collaborated with producers Steve Tzemis and Sarah Jenkins to add to the #IWD2022 conversation about women in sports. In case you are wondering, of course I cried after watching it. 

WATCH | (Not) Indomitable: An essay on mental health and women in sport

This was followed up by a successful Twitter Spaces conversation led by fellow Haligonian Signa Butler and myself. We were joined by sports psychologist Clare Fewster, our colleague Anastasia Bucsis, and Olympians Cynthia Appiah and Kirsten Moore-Towers. It was an hour of candid conversation about mental health struggles, anti-Blackness in sport, eating disorders and healing. I enjoy working on these kinds of projects and this gathering of women was no exception. Tackling these important issues is made easier as a collective. It fills up your cup when it seems like your tank is empty.

Working on these two projects brought me a lot of happiness. There is a particular type of liberation and joy in being able to pair up with creatives and concoct something impactful. A part of my process of joy is learning to accept my own struggles and limitations and then embrace and challenge them to heal. My friend Hana Shafi is an amazing artist in Toronto with expertise in affirmation art. She has a particular piece of art that moves me every time I see it. 

New artwork. Healing is not linear