Alright, Now What?

What happens when the way you experience the world changes, but your drive to keep moving forward doesn't? Today, Hillary is joined by Victoria Nolan, a blind world champion rower, Paralympian, author, executive leader, and motivational speaker. Victoria's story is about much more than elite sport. They get into what it means to adapt when life changes dramatically, what trust and communication can make or break a team, and what high performance sport taught her about leadership and relying on other people. Victoria also talk about the assumptions people make about disability and what becomes possible when we rethink what someone is capable of.

Women's sport in Canada is growing fast, but does that mean women, girls and gender-diverse people now have equal opportunities?Today Hillary is joined by Allison Sandmeyer-Graves, CEO of Canadian Women and Sport and a leading voice for gender equity in sport. In our conversation, Allison shares how sports shaped her own sense of belonging, confidence and leadership, and why those opportunities still aren't equally available to every woman, girl and gender-diverse person.We talk about the systemic barriers built into sport, the growing momentum behind women's professional leagues, and why real progress requires more than simply getting women, girls, and gender-diverse people through the door.Together, we explore what it will take to build a more inclusive system and how all of us can play a role in making that change happen.

Accessibility shapes how we move through the world, but how often do we actually notice it?Hi, I'm Hillary LeBlanc, your host for season 9 of the Canadian Women's Foundation podcast, Alright, Now What? Today I'm speaking with Taylor Lindsay Noel, an accessibility advocate, entrepreneur, speaker, and content creator.Taylor Lindsay-Noel is a Toronto-based entrepreneur, motivational speaker, disability advocate, and content creator. A former Canadian national gymnast, Taylor sustained a life-changing spinal cord injury in 2008 that left her paralyzed from the neck down. Since then, she has built a career centred on entrepreneurship, advocacy, storytelling, and creating greater awareness around disability and accessibility.We talk about the everyday barriers people with disability continue to face, why lived experience matters when creating accessible spaces, and Taylor's return to competitive sport through para-boccia, with the Paralympics now in her sights.

On today’s episode, we’re joined by Elia Lauzon from Kuujjuaq, Nunavik, whose work and experiences reflect the power of community and intergenerational leadership.In our conversation, Elia speaks with Alyssa Carpenter from the Canadian Women’s Foundation about growing up in a remote northern community and how youth leadership opportunities helped expand her sense of what was possible for her future.We’ll also hear how the women and community leaders who came before her helped create pathways for the next generation, and why building stronger communities requires showing up for one another, sharing knowledge, and creating opportunities collectively.

Libby Ward is a writer, speaker, and advocate redefining the motherhood narrative. Through her social media platforms, Libby is known to connect and empower women with honesty, humor, and her relatable voice. She has been featured on the BBC, Good Morning America, and is a member of Reese Witherspoon’s inaugural Hello Sunshine Collective. She lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband and two children.