The next is one in every of a number of spotlights being revealed by Tennis Canada this month as a part of its Victory can be HERS fundraising marketing campaign. They inform the tales of 5 ladies for whom tennis has performed a serious position and contributed in direction of victories of their private {and professional} lives. Be a part of the motion and take motion.
The inspirational story of Vyshnave Sivasankar begins 30 years in the past, in war-torn Sri Lanka. Her dad and mom left behind a lifetime of concern and uncertainty to hunt refuge in Canada. Little did they know, their braveness and dedication to begin over would lay the inspiration for a future crammed with hope and achievement by tennis for his or her daughter.
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They made their option to Toronto, Ontario and, only a few years later, introduced Vyshnave into the world. It’s right here, within the underserved Jane-Finch space to the northwest of the downtown core, that Vyshnave discovered a neighborhood that welcomed her like no different – one which offered her with engagement, an outlet and, in the end, a house.
Whereas her mother labored in a manufacturing unit, and her dad at eating places – through the years, grinding his manner up from dishwasher to prepare dinner – Vyshnave would attend varied packages, principally sport associated. That included soccer and swimming, however there was a transparent frontrunner in her thoughts – and that was tennis.
“I grew up in Jane-Finch space, taking part in loads of totally different packages, together with the tennis program on the Jane-Finch Group Tennis Affiliation. And that’s the place I used to be launched to tennis as a summer time sport. I used to be doing loads of different issues on the time. My dad and mom would put me in any free program. So, it began off as one thing I used to be doing for enjoyable, however I actually preferred the coaches and the grownup leaders we had on the time. They made me really feel so welcome, another way. I didn’t really feel like I used to be going for a tennis lesson, I felt like I used to be a part of a neighborhood for the primary time.”
– Vyshnave Sivasankar
The Jane-Finch Group Tennis Affiliation (JFCTA) was initially launched by Tennis Canada in 2006 as a neighborhood initiative to offer alternatives and entry to tennis for residents of Jane-Finch. Every year, Tennis Canada supplies this system with a grant, in addition to workplace house and discounted courtroom time at Sobeys Stadium. Since her first experiences with the group, Vyshnave’s ardour for tennis has solely grown stronger, as has her sense of belonging and want to present again. Over time, she advanced from a participant, to attempting her hand at teaching and now she is their Program Coordinator, having the accountability of overseeing their ladies and ladies programming.
“Once I began enjoying tennis, I wasn’t superb however I actually needed to be. So, to have that neighborhood and that dedication to be good at one thing, it actually motivated me to work, turn into a volunteer, turn into an assistant coach, turn into a head coach. I labored with the group, with my coaches to construct my abilities and that led me to realize my targets. The yr earlier than final, I began working as Program Coordinator. Once I began, it’s not one thing I believed I might do.”
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Vyshnave’s urge for food for tennis is matched solely by her insatiable curiosity for studying. From 2016 to 2020, she earned a Bachelor of Science diploma from the College of Toronto in Human Biology, Setting and Well being. After hours on finish spent learning in labs and writing papers, she concluded that science was not the trail for her. As a substitute, she had a sudden realization that her true ardour lies within the work she had been doing with the JFCTA.
“That was a turning level,” she defined. “I began to focus extra on working with Jane-Finch Tennis and different non-profits and doing analysis for them, totally different research on what they’d like to vary or enhance on to make sure outcomes. So, that’s after I regarded into Masters packages associated to that. And now, I’m nonetheless on the College of Toronto doing my Masters in Grownup Training and Group Growth. So, for me, working at this group and seeing how non-profits work, I wish to give again. Tennis and the Jane-Finch program is why I really feel that manner. It positively modified the course of my life.”
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Since she switched the main target of her research, Vyshnave has had the chance to work with a number of non-profits on analysis tasks that are near her coronary heart. By way of her connections at JFCTA, she secured an internship with the MLSE Basis final yr. There, she labored intently on their “Change the Recreation” venture, which is aimed toward understanding sport and play-related entry, engagement, and fairness points throughout Ontario.
“They needed to evaluate how entry and limitations to sport had modified from COVID to final yr. I helped execute their survey, labored with knowledge and analyzed the outcomes from the three years.”
By way of JFCTA’s relationship with Tennis Canada, Vyshnave has additionally been an attendee on the annual UNMATCHED: Gender Fairness in Sports activities Convention annually since its inception. This August, she had the chance to fulfill keynote speaker, former world No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, Venus Williams. It’s these experiences by tennis that really encourage Vyshanave to be the chief she has turn into for ladies and ladies in her personal neighborhood.
“I simply really feel like, there are all these individuals doing all this stuff so, why can’t I be somebody like that? It’s very inspiring for our coaches and contributors as nicely. It’s exhausting to seek out the phrases to explain the [UNMATCHED] convention. I met Venus – I might by no means have thought I may say that.”
Along with your help, ladies like Vyshnave can proceed to entry life-changing packages that open doorways to mentorship, schooling, and management alternatives. Each greenback counts in breaking down limitations and making certain that Victory can be HERS.
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Donate right this moment and be a part of this transformative motion.
