Ontario Volleyball veterans, Giulia Chimilovski and Abby Delamere, are two like-minded female athletes who are passionate about giving back to a community that has given them so much.
The two volleyball stars have been competing on both the beach and indoor circuits since 13U. Since, they have earned some of the highest titles recognized in Ontario volleyball. Both Chimilovski and Delamere have competed in the Ontario Summer Games in 2018 and were members of Team Ontario from 2019-2021. To finalize their impressive OVA careers, both girls have signed to play post-secondary in Ontario. Chimilovski will attend the University of Toronto and Delamere will head to McMaster University come the fall.
Together, the accomplished duo has created the WeLead initiative–a platform that encourages female volleyball athletes to connect and support each other within the Ontario volleyball community. Since its inception in February of 2022, the initiative has collaborated with Canadian volleyball superstars such as Sophie Bukovec, Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes.
The mastermind behind the initiative, Chimilovski, was inspired after she reconnected with former Region 5 president, Daniel Shermer, who provoked her to think of ways she could give back to the volleyball community. After brainstorming, Chimilovski immediately knew that Abby Delamere was the perfect partner to join her in her pursuit to make a change.
The modern antagonist of the sporting world, COVID-19, played a role in discussions about starting the initiative. After reflecting on their own pre-pandemic experiences and opportunities as athletes in the OVA, the duo knew that they needed to ensure a future that younger female athletes could thrive in.
It is no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every sector of human life, including sports and athletics. Yes, this has impeded on athletic development and projection. But what about the impact on the social and community aspect that sports foster? Chimilovski and Delamere have recognized this gap and are determined to make a change.
Increasing and ensuring female presence in sports has been a topic of discussion for years, and the risk of a dwindling statistic has only been exacerbated since the COVID-19 pandemic. Chimilovski and Delamere are highly aware of how the female presence, specifically in Ontario volleyball, declines at older age groups like 16U-18U.
As a result, the duo founded the WeLead initiative to create a space where female volleyball athletes can feel supported and connected throughout their athletic experience in the OVA. With help and guidance from Daniel Shermer, the girls took two months to brainstorm what they were capable of and their plan of action.
When asked what their goals for the platform included, the two stressed the importance of creating an initiative that was sustainable, authentic and easily accessible. The two reasoned that focusing on women and young girls in sport would be the most realistic demographic as they each have first-hand experiences and can easily relate.
Over the past few months, the WeLead Instagram has hosted ‘Instagram story takeovers’ which allows university or college athletes to share a day in their lives through the story function. Followers are opened up to what a day for a post-secondary level athlete looks like both in Canada (ex. Queens University athlete Holly Biasi) or in the U.S (ex. Santa Clara University athlete Kat Georgiadis) which is commonly unknown information for a typical OVA athlete.
One of the platform’s most notable ventures is their Guardian Sister Mentorship Program which commences the week of April 18th, 2022. The program will connect younger (12U-16U) OVA athletes with older OVA athletes (17U-18U) in a mentee/mentor relationship for a total of 8 weeks. The intention is for female athletes to foster friendships within a social network of role models and peers who will offer support and guidance throughout their OVA club journey.
The WeLead initiative is only in its preliminary stage of growth and has already impressed athletes, coaches and other volleyball accomplices near and far. Giulia Chimilovski and Abby Delamere have a successful future ahead of them in their academic and athletic careers and can now look to attach another notch on their belt as powerful female leaders and role models in the OVA community.
Bravo and good luck in your future endeavours! We will be cheering you on.
Follow @weleadinitiativeon on Instagram to keep up with the WeLead initiative!
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