“I don’t care why they invited me. So many times in my life people said no to me because I was a girl.” Manon Rheaume
Manon Rheaume was the first (and only woman to date) to play in an NHL game. Check out this video interview with Manon Rheaume.Being a woman in sport is a double edged sword. Sometimes, you are discriminated against for being a woman. Other times, you are include because you are a woman (these "token chic" experiences often lead to further discrimination).
Last year, I stopped posting on my blog and Woman on Water Facebook Page. I changed my Woman on Water Instagram name to Cate Hawthorne because I was questioning what it meant to be a woman in a professional sports.
I don't want to be identified by my gender but by who I am. However, the reality is that my gender does contribute to who I am. The world is more black and white and male and female than many of us believe or want. Despite our best intentions, we are not blind to color/race/gender/sexual preference.
I am uncertain if I should be flying the flag as Woman on Water but feel that my contributions have a place. I am inspired by women like Manon Rheaume. I hope to inspire others to be the best that they can be and to get out and enjoy life - on an off the water.
Hi Cate,
ReplyDeleteyour blogs are always awesome and interesting and I look forward to finding a new post I haven't read yet, and learning something new. so from there I guess gender doesn't matter.
on the other hand, it's cool and encouraging to see great inspiring paddling from a woman's perspective, because it's often been mainly men writing previously. so that suggests Woman on Water is valuable.
not sure where all that leads, but I'll keep reading!
Dan
Hi Dan, Thank you for reading my blog and commenting. Comments like yours keep me motivated to keep writing my blog. As Liquid Fusion Kayaking's busy summer season wraps up, I look forward to writing more blog posts. Cheers, Cate
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