Jeannie Rohr’s Passion Project Makes Tennis a Safe Space for Canadian Women Refugees

The next is one in all a number of spotlights being revealed by Tennis Canada this month as a part of its Victory shall be HERS fundraising marketing campaign. They inform the tales of 5 inspirational ladies for whom tennis has performed a serious function and contributed in direction of victories of their private {and professional} lives. Be a part of the motion and take motion.

“You saved my life.” These are the extremely highly effective phrases that Jeannie Rohr heard from Waad, one of many first individuals in Tennis BC’s groundbreaking program for girls refugees arriving to Canada. For Waad and lots of others, this system is about a lot greater than tennis. It’s about hope, friendship, and a recent begin.

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Tennis has been a part of Rohr’s life for so long as she will be able to bear in mind. Her mom beloved the game and first picked up a racquet when she found free public courts upon immigrating to Canada. She made certain that every one six of her kids adopted in her footsteps. Rapidly, tennis turned the glue that saved the household collectively.

READ the inspiring tales of 5 ladies for whom tennis has performed a serious function

Rohr’s childhood impressed her to present again inside her present function as Director of Teaching Training at Tennis British Columbia and to create a secure place on the courtroom for brand new Canadians, particularly ladies and ladies, to satisfy folks and assist them assimilate into the nation.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennis BC was in a position to safe the Stanley Park courts as a venue of their very own to function out of and one of many asks from town of Vancouver in alternate was to implement variety applications targeted on newcomers in addition to folks with disabilities. The rise in home violence in direction of ladies through the pandemic pushed Rohr to deliver her imaginative and prescient to life and a brand new tennis program for girls refugees arriving in Canada was born. A reference to the YMCA introduced 25 individuals to this system’s first eight-week installment in 2021, together with ladies from Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran. Many had by no means been uncovered to sports activities and whereas they beloved taking part in tennis, their basic motion expertise have been weak, in order that they wanted to discover a consolation stage shifting on the courtroom. After tennis, they might get pleasure from a meal along with everybody bringing meals from their tradition to share and speak over. This system’s debut was run fully by ladies coaches which helped with retention. Some wished to maintain taking part in and a few have been fascinated with pursuing the Group Facilitator course and finally the Teacher course to develop into an authorized coach.

“I had no concept the affect could be so highly effective for these ladies. It was a secure place for them to go,” Rohr defined.

Two ladies, Waad, from Syria, who spent three years in a refugee camp in Turkey earlier than escaping to return to Canada, and Maryam, a refugee from Iran, turned finest mates after going by way of the primary program collectively.

“I bear in mind Waad saying to me, ‘my nation instructed me I ought to hate Maryam, however I really like her she’s my finest good friend now.’ After which in direction of the tip of this system she instructed me, ‘You confirmed me there was hope and a future for me. I used to be despondent. I used to be so remoted and so alone I’m a refugee; I can not return dwelling to household. I’m right here on my own,’”

– Jeannie Rohr

Each ladies have gone on to blossom collectively and Tennis BC even gave them their first paying job in Canada. Waad’s dream was to develop into a private coach. She acquired her foot within the door on the YMCA working in childcare and at present, she’s formally a private coach there. Waad’s husband Ned has fallen in love with tennis and performs virtually day by day and desires to develop into a coach. In the meantime, Maryam is pursuing an structure certificates.

Three years after its inception, Rohr’s inspiring program, which is about way more than simply tennis, continues to offer a portal for girls immigrants and refugees to appreciate their desires as a result of they’ve the liberty to pursue them. Along with taking part in the game, the individuals have additionally found the various alternatives that tennis can present them, each on the courtroom and off. Some have taken on roles at provincial tournaments whereas others at the moment are mentors and licensed coaches main outreach applications to encourage extra women and girls to get entangled within the sport.

“Whether or not they proceed with tennis or not, they’ll always remember the expertise,” Rohr mentioned. “It’s given them function and the consolation to know that they’ll. They’ve realized to have a voice, that it’s okay to say no, it’s okay to be who I’m, and it’s okay for me to have sincere discussions.”

Rohr’s focus for the longer term is figuring out extra passionate ladies who can carry the torch, create new alternatives and extra inclusive tennis areas, encourage the following era to comply with of their footsteps, and hold the engine working to make sure that Victory Will probably be HERS.

Packages like Jeannie’s are attainable due to Tennis Canada’s dedication to creating alternatives for girls and ladies by way of initiatives like Sport. Set. Fairness. Your donations be sure that ladies like Waad and Maryam can discover their voice, construct neighborhood, and obtain their desires.