17 Women of Influence Sign on to Fitspirit's Mother/Daughter Relay to Help Encourage, Motivate and Inspire Girls to Get Active

MONTREAL, June 1, 2020 /CNW Telbec/ - FitSpirit is pleased to unveil its new cohort of leaders: 17 influential Quebec businesswomen who want to make a difference in the lives of teenage girls have come together to support a 100% virtual edition of the FitSpirit Mother/Daughter Relay.

The group is made up of businesswomen from many backgrounds. Together, they will serve as inspirational role models in order to spur girls to discover the benefits of physical activity and fight the tendency for teenage girls to drop out of sports. "One out of two girls gives up sports when they hit puberty.¹ The trend picks up dramatically from ages 12 to 17,² and by the end of high school 9 out of 10 girls don't meet Canadian exercise guidelines," ³ notes Claudine Labelle, President and Founder of FitSpirit and ambassador for the cohort of female leaders. "The women in this group are making a difference. I'm delighted that they have rallied to the cause."

Setting an example
The leaders who are joining this effort are ambitious women with inspirational careers. They share a passion for fitness, which they draw on to enrich their personal lives and help drive their careers.

• Anne-Marie Boissonnault, Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Solisco
• Caroline Lemoine, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary, Lassonde Industries Inc.
• Claudine Labelle, President and Founder, FitSpirit
• Cynthia Lemme, Regional President, Business Banking, BMO
• Geneviève Fortier, CEO, Promutuel Insurance
• Isabelle Verreault, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Québec, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
• Julie Bédard, President, Medicart
• Julie Pomerleau, Vice President, Marketing, Nespresso
• Karinne Bouchard, Head of Investor Relations and Treasurer, Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.
• Marie-Huguette Cormier, Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Communications, Desjardins Group
• Mélanie Lussier, Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Communications, Duchesnay
• Mylène Duguay, President, Managing Director, Cabana Séguin Inc.
• Mylène Savoie, President, McCann Montréal
• Nancy Avoine, Managing Partner, Québec City office, EY
• Patricia Châteauneuf, Director, National Multiplatform Sales and Customer Innovation, Radio-Canada
• Sandy Vassiadis, Vice President, Communications and Corporate Responsibility, Saputo Inc.
• Valérie Sapin, Director, Marketing, Customer Experience and Energy Efficiency, Énergir

Read more about our women of influence: relay.fitspirit.ca/leaders

The 17 leaders are joining their voices to encourage all Quebec women to participate in the 100% virtual edition of the FitSpirit Mother/Daughter Relay.

100% virtual edition of the FitSpirit Mother/Daughter Relay
This year, to keep our communities safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, the FitSpirit Mother/Daughter Relay has been converted into a virtual event. Each mother-daughter duo or trio will tackle the challenge of running or walking a total of 20K, at the time(s) of their choosing between 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 15 and 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 16. "We've always encouraged girls to exercise regularly – in a different way," says Claudine Labelle. "So we've come up with a different kind of relay. It will be a chance for mothers and daughters to strive together and achieve together as they prepare for the challenge. We hope that despite the physical distance that now separates us, participants will share a rewarding common experience."

The FitSpirit Mother/Daughter Relay, virtual edition, is open to all mother-daughter pairs and trios who want to bond by meeting a shared challenge (a significant mother figure can stand in for the mother). There is no registration fee for the virtual FitSpirit Mother/Daughter Relay. However, it is suggested that each duo or trio raises funds for FitSpirit, a non-profit organization that is doing important work to promote physical activity among teenage girls. The money raised will be used to grow the organization and get more Canadian girls to adopt a healthy and active lifestyle for the long term. Teams can register now at relay.fitspirit.ca/registration.  

About FitSpirit
FitSpirit partners with schools to organize activities designed to get girls moving and set them on the path to an active and healthy lifestyle. Backed by a community of inspiring and dedicated girls and women, FitSpirit transforms every activity into a memorable experience complete with friends, role models and fun. This winning combination has enabled FitSpirit to positively impact the lives of more than 185,000 girls aged 12 to 17 since it was founded in 2007. For more information, visit fitspirit.ca.

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¹ https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20160628005793/en/Girls-Quit-Sports-Puberty*-Always%C2%AE-LikeAGirl-Video
² https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2011001/article/11397-eng.pdf
³ https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2017010/article/54875/tbl/tbl02-eng.htm

SOURCE Fitspirit

Source: Marie-Noëlle Bouillon, Marketing and Communications Advisor, FitSpirit, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]; Media contact: Marie-Michelle Chartier, Public Relations Consultant, H+K Strategies, Phone: [phone], Email: [email protected]