Kelly Blackshaw
Multisport Builder - Inducted 2006
Kelly Blackshaw is a staunch advocate of the benefits of physical activity and she knows the vital role sport plays in the development of a child. Sport provides opportunities to improve physical fitness, develop motor skills, help build self-confidence, develop personal goal-setting skills and reinforce responsibility to others. Sport also instills the habits of personal pro-active health care, enhances crime prevention, and helps to build vibrant communities.
In May of 1995, Kelly co-founded “The KidSport Society of Alberta” and has been the first and only chair of the Alberta KidSport Fund. Registration fees, equipment needs, and program development are some of the areas assisted through the fund that enables children to overcome financial obstacles that might hinder their participation in sport. Since 1995, more than 20,000 youth in Alberta have been given the opportunity to participate in sports through KidSport.
With Kelly’s positive leadership and direction, over 32 local organizing committees of KidSport have been established throughout the province, affecting more than 200 communities. The development, growth, and operation of KidSport of Alberta have become a model for KidSport organizations across Canada to use.
Kelly Blackshaw has also been active on the board of directors of the Alberta Sport Council, CODA, and helped co-found the Fortress Mountain Ski Club, the Calgary Wellness Network, and the Calgary Chamber of Commerce H.E.A.L.T.H. Awards. She was nominated for the Women of Distinction Award in 2000 in the area of health, wellness, and physical activity, and was a recipient of the 2005 Alberta Centennial Salute for Sport and Recreation.
