Recognizing students who pursue both sports and studies
Environment alumni reflect on their experiences being student-athletes and how the new Environment Student-Athlete Award will help cultivate current students' passion for sport
Environment students possess a diversity of passions and many are involved in varsity sports. However, juggling the financial and time-constraint demands of their academics and athletics is no small feat.
In March 2023, the Faculty of Environment in collaboration with Athletics and Recreation launched the Environment Student-Athlete Award to recognize students who through the pursuit of both sports and studies, become resilient leaders and problem solvers with an awareness of social and sustainability issues.
Derek Coleman, PhD ‘74, stepped up to be our lead alumni donor, making a generous financial commitment to support the award. Derek's gift will ensure that one environment student-athlete will be recognized each year, in perpetuity. We asked him and fellow alumni about their own experiences being student-athletes and how the new award will help cultivate current students’ passion for sport and shape their lives.
Building a lifelong passion
Sports can be a life-long outlet for maintaining a sense of personal and physical wellness. For Derek Coleman the importance of being active was modeled to him at a young age by his mother who was a ballerina. Being active became a part of his daily practice over the course of his many years as a busy environmental consultant and business owner. Whether it has been daily runs that turned into walks, hiking hundreds of kilometers on the el Camino de Santiago through Spain and Portugal, participating in tree planting, taking up competitive track and field at the age of 70, or completing 38 of the 39 annual Terry Fox Marathons of Hope, Derek’s persistence to stick with sport has prevented him from letting life limit him. A true believer in the power of sport to shape students into resilient leaders and problem solvers, Derek has generously committed to being a lead donor for the new award.
A passion that extends beyond the green
Carly Peister, MES ‘14, said "being on the golf team brought me joy and created friendships I don't think I ever would have made if it weren't for athletics.” It even led her to write her master’s thesis on water usage in Ontario golf courses. Post-graduation, Carly now works as a certified golf instructor who inspires young women interested in the sport and she continues to advocate for sustainability.
Applying skills from the football field to the workplace
For School of Planning alumnus Cody Wheten, BES ’20, football not only allowed him to make lifelong connections, but the fast-paced game sharpened his communication and teamwork skills. “The best thing that I learned as a student-athlete was being able to observe something and effectively communicate what I am seeing in a high-pressure situation. In consulting, it's allowed me to be able to communicate with people in an effective manner and extract information from what I observe at a project site and in various scenarios.”
Challenging what is possible
Often sport is an avenue for challenging what is possible. Geography alumnus Stuart Adams, BES ‘85 Honours Co-op with an Economics Minor, was highly involved as a student on campus. He worked at The Bombshelter Pub, participated in intramurals and worked security for campus concerts. After a few of his now lifelong friends suggested he try out, Stuart made it his goal to make the varsity football team, to prove to himself that he could put in the hard work and make it happen. “Sports gave me the confidence to set a goal and go out and achieve it; that absolutely played into my ability to take the steps that I did in my professional career.”
Cultivating wellness
Sports are not only essential in providing students with skills that can be applied to their future careers, but they are also an excellent tool for learning about balance and fostering mental, physical, and spiritual health. “Many people see wellness as just being happy and mentally well. But more importantly, in a competitive sport, wellness is about keeping a healthy schedule and discipline,” said Anthony Wong, BES ‘13, a former School of Planning alumni and competitive swimmer. “I think swimming competitively develops my mental acuity and keeps me driven in other aspects of my life.”
Connecting sport with environmental stewardship
For Humberto Gutierrez, BES ’15, his love of sport and sustainability go hand in hand. “One of the reasons why I went into the Faculty of Environment was because I was really interested in sustainability. I consciously try to live a sustainable lifestyle. When I think about sport and activity, it is integral to my daily routine along with eating well, working on my mental health, and striving towards greater balance,” said Humberto. Not only is sport a wellness tool for Humberto, but he has also noticed parallels between cycling and running, the sports that he now practices, and environmental stewardship. "Both sports help me feel connected with the natural world and most importantly, staying fit means that I can walk or bike instead of driving to reduce my environmental footprint.”
Connecting with nature
Continuing with the theme of wellness, Deirdre Laframboise, BES ‘84 shared that sport has been critical to her overall well-being and how she copes with stress. An environment student through and through, her antidote to stress is to be in the forests or on the trails running, or on her skate skis in the winter. "As long as I’m outdoors I’m happiest," she said. Much like Carly, Deirdre’s passion for both the environment and sport shaped her career post-graduation. For 12 years, Deirdre directed Clean Air Champions, a charity she co-founded that worked with Olympic and Paralympic athletes to deliver educational programs to youth in schools across Canada on the interconnectedness between our environment, air quality and lifestyles. Since then, she has led several other national not-for-profits dedicated to solutions to climate change, better environmental policies and more sustainable agriculture practices.
The student-athlete struggle
Although athletics can have an incredibly positive impact on university students, these alumni acknowledge that it is sometimes challenging to find the time and money to study while being a varsity athlete. As Deirdre said, “I always worked while I was a student. I think it’s doubly challenging for today’s youth and athletes with the cost-of-living skyrocketing.”
For students, every bit of support counts, whether it is financial awards, flexibility from professors, or academic success tutoring. Having access to scholarships and awards can facilitate students being able to continue playing the sport they love and anything that we can do to lower those barriers is important.
Join this outstanding group of Alumni in celebrating student-athletes. The Faculty will continue to match gifts over $2,500 in value.
Sports can be a life-long outlet for maintaining a sense of personal and physical wellness. For Derek Coleman the importance of being active was modeled to him at a young age by his mother who was a ballerina. Being active became a part of his daily practice over the course of his many years as a busy environmental consultant and business owner. Whether it has been daily runs that turned into walks, hiking hundreds of kilometers on the el Camino de Santiago through Spain and Portugal, participating in tree planting, taking up competitive track and field at the age of 70, or completing 38 of the 39 annual Terry Fox Marathons of Hope, Derek’s persistence to stick with sport has prevented him from letting life limit him. A true believer in the power of sport to shape students into resilient leaders and problem solvers, Derek has generously committed to being a lead donor for the new award. 
Carly Peister, MES ‘14, said "being on the golf team brought me joy and created friendships I don't think I ever would have made if it weren't for athletics.” It even led her to write her master’s thesis on water usage in Ontario golf courses. Post-graduation, Carly now works as a certified golf instructor who inspires young women interested in the sport and she continues to advocate for sustainability.
For School of Planning alumnus Cody Wheten, BES ’20, football not only allowed him to make lifelong connections, but the fast-paced game sharpened his communication and teamwork skills. “The best thing that I learned as a student-athlete was being able to observe something and effectively communicate what I am seeing in a high-pressure situation. In consulting, it's allowed me to be able to communicate with people in an effective manner and extract information from what I observe at a project site and in various scenarios.”
Often sport is an avenue for challenging what is possible. Geography alumnus Stuart Adams, BES ‘85 Honours Co-op with an Economics Minor, was highly involved as a student on campus. He worked at The Bombshelter Pub, participated in intramurals and worked security for campus concerts. After a few of his now lifelong friends suggested he try out, Stuart made it his goal to make the varsity football team, to prove to himself that he could put in the hard work and make it happen. “Sports gave me the confidence to set a goal and go out and achieve it; that absolutely played into my ability to take the steps that I did in my professional career.”
Sports are not only essential in providing students with skills that can be applied to their future careers, but they are also an excellent tool for learning about balance and fostering mental, physical, and spiritual health. “Many people see wellness as just being happy and mentally well. But more importantly, in a competitive sport, wellness is about keeping a healthy schedule and discipline,” said Anthony Wong, BES ‘13, a former School of Planning alumni and competitive swimmer. “I think swimming competitively develops my mental acuity and keeps me driven in other aspects of my life.”
For Humberto Gutierrez, BES ’15, his love of sport and sustainability go hand in hand. “One of the reasons why I went into the Faculty of Environment was because I was really interested in sustainability. I consciously try to live a sustainable lifestyle. When I think about sport and activity, it is integral to my daily routine along with eating well, working on my mental health, and striving towards greater balance,” said Humberto. Not only is sport a wellness tool for Humberto, but he has also noticed parallels between cycling and running, the sports that he now practices, and environmental stewardship. "Both sports help me feel connected with the natural world and most importantly, staying fit means that I can walk or bike instead of driving to reduce my environmental footprint.”
Continuing with the theme of wellness, Deirdre Laframboise, BES ‘84 shared that sport has been critical to her overall well-being and how she copes with stress. An environment student through and through, her antidote to stress is to be in the forests or on the trails running, or on her skate skis in the winter. "As long as I’m outdoors I’m happiest," she said. Much like Carly, Deirdre’s passion for both the environment and sport shaped her career post-graduation. For 12 years, Deirdre directed Clean Air Champions, a charity she co-founded that worked with Olympic and Paralympic athletes to deliver educational programs to youth in schools across Canada on the interconnectedness between our environment, air quality and lifestyles. Since then, she has led several other national not-for-profits dedicated to solutions to climate change, better environmental policies and more sustainable agriculture practices.
