2026 EDI Committee Call Out

ONTARIO WEIGHTLIFTING ASSOCIATION

18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto Ontario

info@onweightlifting.ca

www.onweightlifting.ca

Ontario Weightlifting Association – Call for EDI Committee

The Ontario Weightlifting Association (OWA) is seeking thoughtful, engaged, and community-minded individuals to serve on its Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee.

The EDI Committee is a Program Advisory Committee of the OWA, reporting to the VP Administration and President, and plays an important role in helping shape a more accessible, inclusive, and representative future for weightlifting in Ontario.

This committee supports the OWA Board by providing guidance and recommendations that help strengthen participation, improve access, and create stronger pathways for athletes, coaches, officials, and clubs for underrepresented and underserved groups.

We are looking for people who care about access, belonging, and helping move meaningful work forward within our sport.

Role Overview

The EDI Committee helps OWA create a stronger, more accessible, and more inclusive weightlifting community across Ontario.

This committee focuses on identifying barriers to participation and helping the Board improve access to opportunities for diverse populations as athletes, coaches, officials, clubs, and new members entering the sport. This may include improving entry points into weightlifting, supporting more inclusive programming, reviewing athlete and coach pathways from a diversity lens, and helping ensure OWA’s communication, competitions, and systems better reflect the needs of the full community.

The committee also helps identify opportunities for partnerships, funding, sponsorship, and community collaboration that support equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.

This is a practical, working committee focused on helping OWA develop and move meaningful projects forward—not just discussion, but recommendations and action that improve participation, retention, and belonging across the sport.

Note: At this time we are specifically looking for a member with interest and experience related to physical and mental disabilities to lead equity/inclusivity projects in this area. The position of Chair will also be considered.

Key Responsibilities

The Committee will advise and support initiatives in the following areas:

In alignment with OWA’s strategic plan, the Committee will support the development of inclusive practices and initiatives that strengthen participation, retention, and progression across the sport.
Identify and provide input on barriers to participation within OWA programs, services, and pathways with a focus on obtaining quantifiable and qualitative feedback from the OWA community.
Recommend strategies to increase participation among underrepresented or underserved groups
Provide input on the development of inclusive, entry-level, and community-based programming
Identify opportunities for partnerships, funding, and sponsorship aligned with EDI priorities
Recommend approaches to improve access, retention and progression for diverse populations across athlete, coach, and official pathways
Provide input on inclusive practices in competition formats, program delivery, and communications
Provide a forum for identifying and addressing priority issues related to access, inclusion, and belonging within the OWA community
Promote access to programming and engagement with clubs (e.g., uptake of programs, feedback, participation)
The committee shall also review and make recommendations to revise the Terms of Reference as needed.

Committee Composition & Eligibility

The EDI Committee is composed of five (5) members, including:

Chair: Appointed by the OWA Board
Members (up to 4 additional members)

Applicants may include individuals from across the OWA community, including:

Athletes
Coaches and/or club operators
Officials
Individuals with relevant lived or professional experience related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Applicants must:

Be 18 years of age or older
Be a resident of Ontario
Be a Regular Member of the Corporation in good standing
Be in good standing with the PSO

Members are selected by the OWA Board from a pool of applicants. The Board reserves the right to appoint or recruit members to ensure appropriate balance, expertise, and committee effectiveness.

Additional Responsibilities of the Chair

In addition to the general responsibilities of committee members, the Chair helps lead the work of the Committee by:

Preparing agendas and supporting meeting organization
Helping develop work plans and delegate tasks
Chairing meetings and guiding recommendations
Acting as the primary liaison between the Committee, VP Administration, President, and Board
Supporting reporting, documentation, and progress updates
Helping ensure the Committee remains aligned with OWA priorities and strategic goals

The Chair works closely with the VP Administration and President throughout the term.

Essential Skills

Successful candidates will clearly demonstrate strength in the following areas:

Reliability and follow-through
Oral and written communication
Collaborative decision-making
Analytical and critical thinking
Equity and inclusion awareness and/or experience
Systems-level thinking
Professional judgment and integrity

Additional Essential Skills – Chair

Applicants interested in the Chair role should also demonstrate:

Strong facilitation and leadership skills
Organizational and planning skills
Governance awareness and/or experience
Professional credibility and sound judgment

Assets

The following experience or qualities are considered strong assets:

Experience with policy, program, or community development
Experience serving on committees, boards, or working groups
Experience in sport leadership, non-profit governance, or community engagement
Knowledge of accessibility, inclusion, and participation barriers in sport

Commitment

Term: Two (2) years
Meetings: Monthly (1 hour)
Additional work: Approximately 1 hour per week between meetings

Members are expected to prepare for meetings, engage in committee work, and maintain confidentiality of committee discussions.

Application

If you care about improving access, strengthening community, and helping move meaningful work forward within weightlifting in Ontario, we would love to hear from you.

This committee is an opportunity to help shape practical change—supporting stronger pathways, more inclusive participation, and a sport where more people feel they belong and can thrive.

To apply, please fill out the form below with a short statement of interest and any relevant experience by November 29th, 2026.

Full Name

First NameLast Name

Email

example@example.com

Are you a current OWA Member?

Are you an Ontario resident?

Have you read the role description and the time/duration commitment?

What role are you applying for?

Are you also applying for the position of Chair?

Please tell us about your experience with Olympic weightlifting and your connection to OWA. What interests you most about serving on the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, and what draws you to this type of work supporting access, inclusion, and community development within the organization?

This helps us understand your connection to the sport and the organization, your motivation for applying, and what perspectives, experiences, or values you would bring to the role. This may include your involvement as an athlete, coach, official, club leader, volunteer, or other relevant professional or lived experience.

The EDI Committee focuses on improving access, participation, retention, and progression for diverse populations and communities across the sport. What do you think OWA could improve most in creating a more inclusive and accessible community for athletes, coaches, officials, and clubs?

This helps us understand your perspective on current barriers, opportunities for growth, and how you think about meaningful change within the sport.

How would you like to contribute to OWA's inclusivity and equity toward participants with physical and/or mental disabilities, and what experience, lived perspective, or professional background would help you move this work forward effectively?

This may include lived experience, coaching, athlete experience, club leadership, education, advocacy, professional expertise, or community work.

Committee work often involves ongoing communication, preparation between meetings, and steady follow-through alongside work, school, and personal commitments. How do you typically manage competing priorities and ensure you can stay consistent with long-term responsibilities?

This helps us understand your capacity, reliability, and approach to sustained volunteer leadership.

Please describe a time you helped lead, organize, improve, or advocate for a project, program, team, or community initiative. Please include how you approached communication, collaboration, and helping move the work forward.

This helps us understand your leadership style, initiative, and how you work with others to create meaningful progress.

Chair: If you are interested in being considered for the Chair role, please describe any experience you have with committee leadership, facilitation, governance, or helping guide group decision-making and accountability.

This helps us understand leadership readiness for applicants interested in supporting the committee in a Chair capacity.

Upload resume

2026 EDI Committee Call-Out