‘Doing what’s needed’
Nova Scotia woman shows support of female sports through volunteering
Marni Tuttle of Windsor Junction, N.S. has always loved watching figure skating and fondly remembers watching Elizabeth Manley skate to a silver medal in the 1988 Winter Olympics.
It turns out it’s a good thing she loves watching the sport so much, as now three of her four daughters are figure skaters and Tuttle has become an active volunteer with Skate Canada Nova Scotia.
She initially only signed up to volunteer at the 2012 Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Moncton, but she hasn’t looked back.
“I met so many interesting people and learned so much about skating from that first experience,” she says. “And I had such a great time working with the team supporting media that I went back in 2013 to Saint John for Skate Canada International.”
Since then, the director of external relations for the Nova Scotia SPCA has volunteered in several behind-the-scenes roles at Skate Canada Nova Scotia, including organizing bake sales and helping out with local competitions. This led to a position serving on the organizing committee for the 2016 nationals in Halifax, which hadn’t been held here since 2007.
“A lot had changed over 10 years when it came to media expectations and participation, but we pulled off a great event,” Tuttle says.
Now she chairs the marketing and publicity committee, which works with 26 clubs and the families of 3,205 skaters across the province, but she still welcomes any opportunity to be part of the day-to-day volunteer work as well.
“I’m always up for doing what’s needed, when and where it’s needed,” she says. “It’s a lot of fun to serve as bench parent at the Bedford Skating Club, getting the ribbons and badges ready for kids who have finished new skills and levels.”
Beyond her motivation as a parent to volunteer, Tuttle is also inspired to advance opportunities for girls in sports.
“It’s important to raise the profile of a sport that’s so attractive to young women. In Nova Scotia skating is dominated by women at all levels – skaters, officials, volunteers and leadership, with many great role models for my daughters,” she says.
“There’s a place for everyone. Whether it’s your child reaching for Olympic glory, a teen who wants to join friends on the local pond or even an adult who wants to try synchro skating for the camaraderie and fitness, I’m here to support athletes of all levels.”