(Alberta Sports Hall of Fame)

By rdnewsNOW staff

Women's History Month

New exhibit celebrating women in sport at Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

Oct 11, 2020 | 11:18 AM

A new exhibit at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is celebrating the women of this province who’ve made exceptional contributions on their field of play.

The exhibit, which is taking place during Canadian Women’s History Month, will be displayed in the Hall of Fame Gallery. It will feature artefacts from honoured members such as Mary Currie, Annabelle McLean, Sharon Wood, Doreen Ryan, Thelma Crowe and Elsie Barlow.

“There are so many amazing women in sport in Alberta, many of whom have been inducted into our Hall of Fame,” says Breanna Suk, Collections and Exhibit Coordinator. “These six have achieved outstanding accomplishments in their respective sports and deserve to have their stories told.”

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Athlete profiles courtesy Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

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Over a 32-year-long career, High River’s Mary Currie represented Calgary and Western Canada 24 times in five-pin bowling. She was Western Canada Ladies Champion four times during her career and the National Champion in 1954

Annabelle McLean represented Canada on the international, national, and provincial track and field scenes. Her accomplishments include a bronze medal in the 1954 British Empire Games relay event, national broad jump titles in 1955 and 1956, and Provincial Aggregate titles from 1951 through 1955.

Sharon Wood was the first North American woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest, a feat she accomplished on May 20, 1986, at 9:00 p.m. A mountain climbing and helicopter ski guide, she would go on to climb Mount Logan, the highest mountain in Canada, and numerous summits exceeding 20,000 feet.

Doreen Ryan and Thelma Crowe were two of the province’s outstanding speedskating pioneers.

Doreen won the Canadian Senior Championships nine times between 1951 – 1963, a North American Championship in 1952, and a silver at the same meet a decade later. She was a member of the Canadian Olympic Speed Skating Team in 1960 and 1964.

During Thelma’s competitive years from 1937 to 1942, she won a total of 14 medals and 35 certificates. She was also the Alberta Amateur Outdoor Speed Skating Champion from 1936 to 1942.

A fastball dynamo since the age of 14, Elsie Barlow would go on to a storied career as both a player, coach, statistician, and organizer. Her teams captured multiple city, provincial and Western Canadian championships. During the winter months, Elsie participated in speed skating as an executive and official.

More information is at AlbertaSportsHall.ca.