Girls Inc. announces third nominee of Women of Inspiration Series

PHOTO. Supplied. Girls Inc. of Northern Alberta. Top left, Nicole Bourque Bouchier, Chief Executive Officer/ Co-Owner of Bouchier, Top right, Jenna Hamilton, Communications and Fund Development Lead, Girls Inc. Bottom left: Nanase Tonda, Executive Director, Girls Inc. & Bottom right: Rachel Ivey, third Woman of Inspiration Nominee.

Girls Inc. of Northern Alberta has announced its third nominee of the Women of Inspiration Series presented by Bouchier.

Rachel Ivey was chosen as a nominee for her work mentoring young girls through sport and for her volunteerism and advocacy efforts to tackle systemic violence.

As one of the founding coaches of Northern Trailblazers Basketball, Ivey encourages and mentors children, especially young girls through sport, while empowering them to be confident on and off the court.

Ivey is strong advocate for under-represented communities in the region, having organized a safe space for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) to express their concerns about racism they’ve experienced.

“Growing up I was shy and anxious all of the time. My message to young girls would be to use your voice, you have one and people want to hear it,” said Ivey.

In June, Ivey helped to lead a march to raise awareness of police brutality and racism.

Ivey along with four other women will be honoured at the Women of Inspiration Celebration presented by Bouchier in March 2021.