Going for Goals - Sports and Sustainability

Date(s): Thursday, March 13
Time: 11:00 am - 12:00 pm

Join us for an engaging discussion as part of SDG Month, exploring the connections between sports, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and climate action. Hosted by Karima Cherifi from the University of the Fraser Valley and presented in collaboration with CiCAN and SDSN, this webinar will bring together Olympic athletes, representatives from colleges, and sustainability experts. It will be an opportunity to examine how sports can contribute to climate action while inspiring new ideas and collaborations.

Melissa Humana-Paredes is a Canadian beach volleyball player who won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She also secured a gold medal at the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships and two Commonwealth Games titles. Since 2016, Melissa has been actively involved in environmental initiatives, organizing beach cleanups, fundraising for the Canadian Bee Research Fund, offsetting her travel carbon emissions, and using her social media to raise climate awareness. She believes that becoming an EcoAthletes Champion will enhance her ability to drive meaningful climate action.

Michele O’Keefe has been with Niagara College in Welland, Ontario for over six years serving in the role of Athletic Director. In May 2022, her portfolio was reconfigured to Director, Athletics & Student Engagement. Prior to assuming this role in her hometown, Michele was the president and CEO of Canada Basketball. Oliver Scholfield is an Olympian (Tokyo 2020) who represented Canada for Field Hockey for over 10 years, as well as the Executive Director of Racing to Zero, a non-profit sustainability consultancy working with sports organizations to help them understand and mitigate their environmental impact.

Karima Cherifi holds a BSc in Kinesiology from the University of Montreal, with a focus on performance and sport psychology, and a Master’s in Management and Sustainable Development from HEC Montreal. Passionate about biomimicry, she seeks to apply nature-inspired solutions to sustainability challenges. She is a member of the Women’s Golf Advisory Group at the PGA of Canada, contributing to reducing inequalities and empowering women in golf. Currently, Karima is the Sustainability Coordinator at the University of the Fraser Valley, where she aligns projects with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

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