Samantha Heron

Samantha Heron (she/her/hers) is a connector, facilitator and advocate in the sport community. She views sport as a space to experience belonging and believes sport is a medium for people to express their values, skills and ambition. After exploring her own rowing pathway in Canada and the United States, Heron began coaching in the development space with Rowing Canada and the University of Victoria in 2018. Currently, she works as a Para NextGen Coach and Recruiter for Rowing Canada Aviron. Heron has increased capacity for para rowing by building awareness and capacity across Canadian rowing clubs. Her guidance has resulted in multiple clubs being successful grant recipients for para specific funding, increased coach education and engagement with para rowing, and has contributed to an increase in the number of Canadian para rowers engaged and classified with the domestic para rowing system.

Outside of her regular work responsibilities, Heron is contributing to the knowledge of para sport systems through research via her master’s thesis on conflict within the para sport system and is also contributing through research on shared leadership with Own the Podium’s LEAD leadership and mentorship program. Heron has a vested interest in making a difference for women and persons with a disability in sport; she delivers multi-sport programming for young girls from low socio-economic status backgrounds to foster lifelong engagement in sport through the organization, Inclusion Incorporated, and is on various diversity, equity and inclusion committees in the Canadian Sport System. Heron provides formal and informal mentorship to female coaches and coaches with a disability across various sport organizations; she is a recognized and well-respected leader in her community.