Abby Hoffman

From the age of 9, Abby defied absurd rules by pretending to be a boy in order to play in a hockey league that banned girls. Later, she infiltrated Ontario's only indoor running track, which was also off-limits to women. Nothing could stop her. Not sexist regulations or male-dominated sports institutions.

Abby competed in four Olympic Games, set Canadian records, and became a respected international athlete. But her rebellion didn't stop there: witnessing the lack of funding for amateur athletes, she publicly denounced the system and pushed the government to invest heavily in sport in Canada.

The first woman to carry the Canadian flag at the Summer Games, then the first to head Sport Canada, she dedicated her career to making sport more equitable, inclusive, and accessible to all. Thanks to pioneers like her, today's girls can dream of a full-fledged athletic career.