As we celebrate International Women’s Day. The two emerging themes this year surrounds Choosing to challenge and Women in leadership.
Therefore, there would be conversations surrounding biases and challenging misconceptions and women leadership.
The UNDP noted “This year’s International Women’s Day is like no other. As countries slowly recover from a devastating pandemic, we have the chance to finally end the exclusion and marginalization of women and girls…It is time to finally fully harness the power of women’s leadership to realise a more equal, more inclusive, and more sustainable future.”
The North Zonal Council would like to celebrate this auspicious occasion by highlighting “Women of Power” in the North Zone all week. Each day we would be highlighting their stories and how they #ChooseToChallenge.
Ingrid Maxwell
- Can you tell us a little about yourself, and your career in sport?
“I am a retired Police Officer. My sporting career began at San Fernando East Secondary School when my Physical Education teacher, Alma Thompson, insisted I participate in sports and she was immensely impressed with my skills. I started with athletics with Greyhound Dovers track and field club, hockey with Texaco Sports Club and I also played netball and basketball. After joining the Police Service, I continued participating in various sporting disciplines as well as managing sporting events, where I was able to mentor young sportsmen and women as well as offer advice when needed.”
- What was your motivation to choose this career path or get involved in sport?
“I have always been passionate about sports and when former Olympian Lennox Stewart became my teacher at Rio Claro Senior Secondary School and learned I was an athlete; he further encouraged my passion. He worked with me and pushed me to work hard to maintain the records for various sporting teams in our school. In playing sports I always felt a sense of authority and self-motivated, and I said to Mr. Stewart after I leave school, I will continue along this path and work even harder to achieve bigger goals.”
- What advice do you have for young girls/women wanting to choose a profession in sport?
“Be focused, challenge yourself, set your goals, and work towards it. Never say you can’t, Discipline is a key factor.”
“Focus not only on being the best in your sporting discipline but further your education as well, it may appear to be a challenge, but it can be done.”
- Can you describe any major challenges you faced as a woman in this industry?
“I would say being objectified, being a woman in the industry people tend to focus on your beauty and feminine attributes rather than sporting abilities and talent.”
- What has been your biggest highlight in your career within the sports industry?
“My biggest highlight was when I was asked by Michael Hall, the Tournament Operations Director of CPL to be the Coordinator for the first Women’s CPL T10 cricket matches held in Trinidad in 2019.”
- What do you think are some of the major misconceptions as a professional woman in sport?
“I think one of the major misconceptions is that many people have a preconceived notion that sports is something masculine and women aren’t built for it but with the growing number of professional sportswomen that misconception is certainly becoming irrelevant.”
- When you started your career to now, how has the treatment/acceptance by men changed towards women in that space?
“While I believe there is still room for improvement, men have made major strides towards the acceptance of women in sport. The support for women in sport has increased tremendously with views as well as monetary rewards and endorsements. We are being seen as formidable athletes.”
- What do you think is the biggest barrier in driving visibility of women’s sport in Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean Region?
“Women need to be treated equally. It should be a level playing field.”
- Can you name some other women in sport athletes or administrators that you admire and why?
“I admire Ann Browne John, she played both Cricket and Hockey at a national and international level and although she is no longer playing, she is still actively involved in the Administration of Cricket.”
“I also admire Rev Dr. Iva Glouden, she was a past President of the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Association, Director of Sports at UWI Spec and she went on to be Trinidad and Tobago’s High Commissioner to Jamaica. She is certainly a person I admire a lot. She is a powerful and strong-minded individual.”
- What were some of the things that you enjoyed doing during the Covid19 quarantine stay-at-home periods?
“Taking care of my plants, reading the bible more, and watching television. Communicating with my children, grandchildren, family, and friends to ensure that everyone is keeping safe and following the health guidelines.”
