Matt DeCourcey is the Director of Government Affairs with the Trans Canada Trail. He brings 20 years of experience advising decision makers at the local, national and international level to his role as Director of Government Affairs with Trans Canada Trail.

A public policy leader, community builder, and former Member of Parliament, his deep political and public affairs knowledge, experience developing strategic partnerships, and ability to shape and influence policy has helped him advise international NGO’s, post-secondary and business leaders, and Canada’s ministers of finance, foreign affairs and immigration.

The Trans Canada Trail is the longest multi-use trail system in the world and it is always growing. It reaches every province and territory, and connects all three of Canada’s coastlines. Each section of the Trans Canada Trail is managed locally and supports different activities and community needs.

Links:

Trans Canada Trail: https://tctrail.ca/?_gl=1%2A1vt33qr%2A_up%2AMQ..%2A_ga%2AMTIzMDMyNzg0NC4xNzY0MDEzNzMx%2A_ga_Z63TFVPQJ6%2AczE3NjQwMTM3MzEkbzEkZzAkdDE3NjQwMTM3MzEkajYwJGwwJGgxMjgyNjI1NjY4

Bookclub sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfXiczKtPflGv4vaIEw9wJvGZ2RASB5_3-DIPRU0N-T8Io8Zg/viewform?usp=header

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Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the world of sports into the conversation! The Sports for Social Impact podcast was nominated for a Sports Podcast Award and Canadian Podcast Award.

Send us an email at ⁠⁠sportsforsocialimpact@gmail.com⁠⁠

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Build Kamloops is a multi-year, multi-phase visionary program to re-establish the city’s prominence as Canada’s Tournament Capital, foster our recognition as a premier arts and culture destination, and keep pace with our recreation and leisure needs as one of Canada’s fastest-growing communities.

Sherri Holmes is the Sport, Recreation and Wellness Manager with the City of Kamloops.

Links:

Build Kamloops: https://letstalk.kamloops.ca/BuildKamloops

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Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the world of sports into the conversation! The Sports for Social Impact podcast was nominated for a Sports Podcast Award and Canadian Podcast Award.

Send us an email at ⁠⁠sportsforsocialimpact@gmail.com⁠⁠

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sportsforsocialimpact⁠⁠

Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sports-for-social-impact⁠⁠

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The Canadian Sport Policy helps identify Canadian sport priorities and guides how federal, provincial and territorial governments advance sport. It provides a shared framework for working together to ensure sport contributes positively to the lives of individuals, communities and the country.

Links:

Canadian Sport Policy 2025-2035: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/sport-canada.html

Canadian Sport Policy 2012-2022: https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/pch/CH24-46-2012-eng.pdf

Canadian Health Measures Survey, 2022 to 2024: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/251017/dq251017b-eng.htm

Canadian Health Measures Survey: Activity monitor data, 2018-2019: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210901/dq210901c-eng.htm

Canada's Infrastructure Deficit: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-canadas-infrastructure-deficit-threatens-economic-competitiveness-and/

Canada’s public infrastructure “at risk,” new report finds: http://canadianinfrastructure.ca/en/press-release.html

Copenhill: https://www.copenhill.dk/en

Tiny data centre used to heat public swimming pool: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-64939558

Australia’s Sports Diplomacy Strategy 2032+: https://www.dfat.gov.au/publications/people-to-people/sports-diplomacy/australias-sports-diplomacy-strategy-2032

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Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the world of sports into the conversation! The Sports for Social Impact podcast was nominated for a Sports Podcast Award and Canadian Podcast Award.

Send us an email at ⁠⁠sportsforsocialimpact@gmail.com⁠⁠

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sportsforsocialimpact⁠⁠

Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sports-for-social-impact⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram (@SportsSocImpact)

Follow us on Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@sportssocimpact⁠

Visit our website at ⁠https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/⁠

Toby Robinson is a British international swimmer specializing in freestyle and open water events, he competed at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris in the 10km Open water event.

Katie Pumphrey is a Baltimore-based interdisciplinary artist and ultramarathon open water swimmer.

They are both Sport Ambassadors for the Swimmable Cities alliance.

Swimmable Cities is a global alliance dedicated to transforming urban waterways into vibrant, accessible spaces for swimming, recreation, and ecological renewal. Launched ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the movement now spans 192 organizations across 100 cities in 34 countries, championing the Right to Swim as well as Nature Rights.

Through summits, workshops, and community-led initiatives, Swimmable Cities empowers municipalities, activists, and citizens to reclaim their rivers, lakes, and harbours. The alliance promotes urban swimming culture as a catalyst for climate resilience, public health, and inclusive urban design—celebrating water as sacred and central to community wellbeing.

Links:

Swimmable Cities: https://www.swimmablecities.org/

Katie Pumphrey: https://www.katiepumphrey.com/about

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Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the world of sports into the conversation! The Sports for Social Impact podcast was nominated for a Sports Podcast Award and Canadian Podcast Award.

Send us an email at ⁠⁠sportsforsocialimpact@gmail.com⁠⁠

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sportsforsocialimpact⁠⁠

Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sports-for-social-impact⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram (@SportsSocImpact)

Follow us on Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@sportssocimpact⁠

Visit our website at ⁠https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/⁠

Kim Gurtler is the CEO of the Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC), bringing extensive expertise in operations, project management, and relationship-building to lead impactful initiatives and outcomes. Recognized for her collaborative leadership and steady optimism, Kim is instrumental in fostering strong partnerships and supporting sector-wide efforts that use knowledge and evidence to advance sport in Canada.

She is also the co-founder of Ringette for All—Canada’s first all-abilities ringette program for children living with disabilities—and continues to contribute to national committees focused on creating inclusive, barrier-free sport environments.

SIRC is Canada’s most trusted leader in advancing sport through knowledge and evidence. Engaging with organizations and individuals across the sport, recreation, and physical education sector—both nationally and globally—SIRC’s mission is to build capacity, drive excellence, and support the growth of the sport sector.

Links

SIRC: https://sirc.ca/

Canadian Sport Policy 2025-2035: https://csp.sirc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Canadian-Sport-Policy-2025-2035-EN-FINAL.pdf

Canadian Sport Policy info sheet: https://csp.sirc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Canadian-Sport-Policy-Summary-Sheet-FINAL.pdf

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Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the world of sports into the conversation! The Sports for Social Impact podcast was nominated for a Sports Podcast Award and Canadian Podcast Award.

Send us an email at ⁠⁠sportsforsocialimpact@gmail.com⁠⁠

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sportsforsocialimpact⁠⁠

Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sports-for-social-impact⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram (@SportsSocImpact)

Follow us on Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@sportssocimpact⁠

Visit our website at ⁠https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/⁠

John Hughes joined Community Integrated Care as Director of Partnerships and Communities in March 2020. In this role, he leads the development and promotion of the charity’s national corporate partnerships, including collaborations with major sporting, arts, cultural and academic institutions, as well as community and family engagement strategies.

Community Integrated Care is one of the UK’s largest social care charities, supporting people with learning disabilities, autism, mental health concerns, and age-related needs. The organization is committed to helping individuals live their best lives possible through person-centered care and inclusive opportunities. With over 6,500 colleagues and 500 services across England and Scotland, they deliver millions of hours of support each year.

Links:

Community Integrated Care: https://www.communityintegratedcare.co.uk/

Volunteering in Canada: The Daily — Volunteering and charitable giving in Canada, 2018 to 2023

Volunteering in the UK: Community Life Survey 2023/24: Volunteering and charitable giving - GOV.UK

Volunteer Hours in Sport: Social Impact - Measuring Impact

Special Olympics: Changing Society by Changing Attitudes

We the 15: WeThe15: A global human rights movement for the 1.2 billion persons with disabilities | UNAOC

Paris 2024: Paris 2024 Paralympic Games changed attitudes towards disability

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Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the world of sports into the conversation! The Sports for Social Impact podcast was nominated for a Sports Podcast Award and Canadian Podcast Award.

Send us an email at ⁠⁠sportsforsocialimpact@gmail.com⁠⁠

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sportsforsocialimpact⁠⁠

Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sports-for-social-impact⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram (@SportsSocImpact)

Follow us on Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@sportssocimpact⁠

Visit our website at ⁠https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/⁠

Hugo Inglis is a four-time Olympian and former international field hockey player for New Zealand, having represented his country at London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024. With over a decade of experience at the highest level of sport, Hugo has increasingly turned his focus to driving positive global impact beyond the field.

In pursuit of that mission, he co-founded High Impact Athletes (HIA) alongside fellow Olympian Marcus Daniell. HIA is a nonprofit organisation that connects professional athletes with the world’s most effective, evidence-based charities, empowering them to support high-impact causes such as global health, poverty alleviation, and climate change mitigation.

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Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the world of sports into the conversation! The Sports for Social Impact podcast was nominated for a Sports Podcast Award and Canadian Podcast Award.

Send us an email at ⁠⁠sportsforsocialimpact@gmail.com⁠⁠

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sportsforsocialimpact⁠⁠

Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sports-for-social-impact⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram (@SportsSocImpact)

Follow us on Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@sportssocimpact⁠

Visit our website at ⁠https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/⁠

Jake Finney is a Community Program Leader with Spirit North in Edmonton and Athabasca, Alberta, in Treaty 6. Jake grew up in Fort Chipewyan and Athabasca in Treaty 8 and is a member of the Athabasca Fort Chipewyan First Nation. He has been with Spirit North for 4.5 years and the programs Jake leads are inspired by culture and the freedom connected to being active. He plays traditional games with groups tying culture with sport and play.

Spirit North is a national charitable organization that uses land-based activities to improve the health and well-being of Indigenous youth, empowering them to become unstoppable in sport, school and life. Through the transformative power of sport and play, their participants learn important lessons, discover untold potential and build the confidence and courage needed to overcome the hardships Indigenous youth often face.

Links:

Spirit North: https://www.spiritnorthxc.ca/

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Please subscribe to the Sports for Social Impact Podcast wherever you get your podcast! Leave us a review and a 5 star rating to help bring others in the world of sports into the conversation! The Sports for Social Impact podcast was nominated for a Sports Podcast Award and Canadian Podcast Award.

Send us an email at ⁠⁠sportsforsocialimpact@gmail.com⁠⁠

Linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/sportsforsocialimpact⁠⁠

Linkedin: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/sports-for-social-impact⁠⁠

Follow us on Instagram (@SportsSocImpact)

Follow us on Substack: ⁠https://substack.com/@sportssocimpact⁠

Visit our website at ⁠https://www.sportsforsocialimpact.com/⁠