‘I’ve been trying to make a change around a lot of the bias of women in sports and getting more youth into sports’
Article content
Chloe Gylander was ecstatic to get the call that she had won a Terry Fox Humanitarian Award.
Article content
“I actually missed the first phone call, they left a message so I kind of knew when I called them back that this was it, but I had a couple of minutes of ‘oh my gosh, I hope this is real,’” said Gylander.
In her second year of undergrad at the University of Alberta, the 19-year-old is one of 17 students across Canada, picked out of 500 applicants, to receive the award. It’s in its 40th year of providing scholarships and recognizing young Canadian humanitarians who demonstrate determination and courage through civic life, academics and athletics.
“Well I am a big athlete so I’ve been trying to make a change around a lot of the bias of women in sports and getting more youth into sports. In high school I joined the boys tackle football team and played there for a couple of years and got promoted to be a captain on my first season,” said Gylander.
Article content
Gylander has also volunteered and or raised money for charities such as the Food Bank, Ronald McDonald House, Make A Wish Foundation as well as the 5 km run of Warm Hands, Warm Hearts and says one of her passions is helping the homeless.
Her biggest goal is to get into law school to go into either human rights or immigration law.
“I want to help people fight for their rights and for the places they want to live.”
Her dream however is to one day open a buinesness that can support the homeless either by proceeds or employ them to provide a stable job or some kind of reliable income.
“I try to have that give all, never give up mindset.”