Victoria Paraschak
Vicky Paraschak joined Kinesiology in 1984, retiring in January 2022. Her PhD from the University of Alberta (1983) laid the foundation for her research focus documenting Indigenous peoples and their engagement in physical cultural practices including sport. The socio-historical focus on this work highlighted Indigenous agency as Indigenous athletes and professionals worked within colonial, unequal power relations to achieve their culturally-informed vision for meaningful physical activity. She also worked to bring about change through four years as a policy officer in the GNWT sport and recreation division, and through facilitating strategic direction processes in the NWT, and workshops across Canada tied to these issues. She eventually adopted a Strengths and Hope framework for this research and since the release of the Truth and Reconciliations Commission final report, has focused on the five Calls to Action tied to sport, including organizing, editing and producing new Wikipedia entries to enhance public knowledge of Indigenous peoples’ participation in sport in Canada (Call to Action #87). She taught sociology of sport and outdoor recreation at the graduate and/or undergraduate level, and is deeply committed to an experiential approach towards instruction. She has been active on various committees within Kinesiology and across campus, bringing an equity lens to those contributions. She has received awards from two North American sport organizations (NASSH and NASSS), as well as teaching, mentorship and equity awards from her department, the University of Windsor and WUFA.