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Three Quotes from the Multiculturalism in Sport Breakfast

On January 31, conversation held a lot of value at the Multiculturalism in Sport Breakfast, at Prairieland Park in Saskatoon. A crowd of individuals enjoyed their coffee and intently listened to panelists Ted Jaleta, Amou Madol and Randi Keshane-Chaboyer discuss the impact sport can have on inclusivity between cultures.

Ted Jaleta was an international distance runner, who has received various recognition for his success as an athlete, including being inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 2005. Joined by dual-sport athlete in soccer and athletics, Amou Madol as well as Indigenous Coaches and Officials Program coordinator and community consultant, Randi Keshane-Chaboyer on the stage to share their experiences with multiculturalism in sport.

Here are quotes from each of the panelists on their reason on why sport should be a space that continues to welcome diversity and allow all individuals to exist freely in the community.

Amou Madol, dual-sport athlete  

“Sport has kind of helped me become who I am today, it has given me so many opportunities, I’ve met so many people, I’ve been able to share my story and people are willing to listen. It goes beyond that, there are so many young Black children that don’t get the chances that I have, so I am really grateful to be in this position where I can sit up here and speak to people and share my story and just talk about how sport has influenced me. Sport, no matter where you come from, I feel like it unifies so many people.”

Ted Jaleta, international distant runner

“Life is so difficult for some of us in the world and the only way that I am here, is because of sport. I use sport to be who I am. When I was growing up in Ethiopia, the national sport was soccer and I wanted to be a soccer star, like the way most Canadian kids inspire to be hockey players…I wasn’t good enough in soccer because I didn’t have any shoes, so I was just sitting hoping to get the opportunity to play. My teacher asked me to join cross country instead and that pivotal moment is what changed my life forever.”

Randi Keshane-Chaboyer, Indigenous Coaches and Officials Program coordinator, softball coach

“[In high school,] I played softball at the highest level I could play, and there was an incident that happened that changed my trajectory and made me not even want to play. I didn’t even want to return to the sport and it came from that coach’s own perspective and biases of not understanding who I was as an individual and First Nations athlete. To looking forward to where it has taken me [now] and the type of coach that I want to be.”