Jessica Zelinka is a Canadian pentathlete, heptathlete, and 100 m hurdler. She competed at 2 Olympic Games (2008, 2012) in heptathlon. After having a baby daughter (Anika) in 2009, she came back and broke her Canadian record in heptathlon and qualified for the Games by winning the individual 100 m hurdle finals at the Olympic trials in Calgary (2012). She is now coaching, mentoring, and speaking about the importance of equipping our young athletes with high performance "living" tools; in combining all-around athletic development with empowering mindset practices to build resiliency to handle challenges on and off the field.

I choose to give my time to KidSport because I deeply value equal access to sport, especially since parents are more depended than ever on relying on organized sport to provide these sporting experience. Participating in sport can be that outlet for a young athlete, a safe space to explore their greatness and open their minds to what is possible. When we are immersed in play, nothing else matters in the moment; this is a gift to reconnect to ourselves and to a sense of community.