Ellen Barwise

Whether as a professional volleyball player or a backpacker, Ellen Barwise has traveled to more than 20 countries, and says her three passions of "sport, travel and culture" have been the driving force behind many of her personal decisions. On Sept. 8 Barwise departed Canada for yet another destination: St. Michael, Barbados – and although this time she won't be backpacking, she will be on another adventure: working with the Barbados Olympic Association to assist with its preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. Barwise is one of four Canadian interns selected for the Capacity Support Program, an innovative pilot program funded by the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Canada. The 14-month internship is aimed at increasing the sport management capacity of other countries' Commonwealth Games Associations. "Sport and physical activity are a major part of my life. I grew up playing sports every day with my three sisters and I participated in as many teams as possible," said Barwise. "I played competitive sports, I studied sport in university, I work in the sport field, and I traveled for sport. And now, once again, sport is taking me to another country." "Sport has molded who I am and is a large of part of my life and the relationships I have with my friends and family," she added. Barwise has a Masters of Sport Administration as well as a Baccalaureate of Science, with Honours in Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ont. Most recently she worked as a sport development manager for WaterSki and Wakeboard Canada, and as an event and marketing coordinator for Diving Canada. She also managed the operations of the University of Ottawa's Women's Volleyball Program. From 2005 to 2007, Barwise toured Europe as a professional volleyball player based in Germany, and also has a background in basketball, wakeboarding, and ultimate Frisbee. Barwise will now apply her athletic and professional experience to Commonwealth Games Canada and the Barbados Olympic Association, where she will join a team of staff and volunteers and be responsible for games preparation and implementing a games management software program called Zeus. Other duties will include assisting with grant applications and proposal writing. "I hope to return from this experience with a greater understanding of how sport can be used as a development tool throughout various cultures," said Barwise.