About MOMentum

Where Canada’s women athletes shape the future of sport

Our Team

Melissa Bishop-Nriagu OLY

Melissa has long been one of Canada’s most respected middle-distance runners. After becoming a mother in 2018, she returned to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Games, challenging outdated ideas about motherhood and elite sport. Melissa brings both her athletic experience and her passion for supporting future generations of women athletes to MOMentum’s mission.

Co-Founder

Erica Gavel-Pinos PLY

Erica represented Canada in wheelchair basketball at the Rio 2016 Games. She holds a PhD in physiology and is now pursuing a second PhD focused on athlete motherhood and para sport. Beyond research, Erica has been a powerful advocate for para athletes, bringing years of experience serving on boards and working to advance equity, accessibility, and representation in Canadian sport.

Co-Founder
Co-Founder

Jill Moffatt OLY

Jill represented Canada in rowing at the 2020 and 2024 Games. Now a PhD researcher studying gender equity, athlete motherhood, and women’s sport media, she bridges lived experience and academic insight. Passionate about storytelling with intention, Jill uses media as a tool to challenge assumptions and reimagine what equity in sport can look like.

Co-Founder

Mandy Bujold OLY

Mandy has been a leading voice for athlete mothers in Canada. After fighting for her right to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics as an athlete mom, she helped spark policy change around maternal rights in sport. Today, Mandy continues to advocate for gender equity and athlete wellbeing.

Co-Founder

Kim Gaucher OLY

Kim made history by speaking out ahead of the  2020 Games, challenging Olympic rules that prevented breastfeeding mothers from bringing their infants. Her advocacy helped spark international policy change and a broader conversation about motherhood in sport. After retiring, Kim returned to the 2024 Games as a coach, continuing her leadership within Team Canada basketball.

Founded by Olympians and Paralympians in 2024, MOMentum exists to ensure that no elite Canadian woman athlete has to choose between pursuing sport and building a family.

Co-Founder

Talia Ritando PhD(c)

Talia is completing her PhD examining safe sport, policy, and athlete motherhood in high-performance environments. Her work bridges research and practice, focusing on how sport systems can better support women athletes. When Talia isn’t publishing papers, you can catch her playing beach volleyball.

Our Story

  • 2021: Kim fights for breastfeeding Olympians

    Kim refused to accept that motherhood meant leaving the Tokyo Olympics behind. When COVID rules initially barred her from bringing her three-month-old daughter Sophie to Tokyo, she spoke out, challenging the restrictions and demanding change. Her advocacy paid off: the IOC approved an exemption for breastfeeding athletes, ensuring Sophie could travel with her to the Games.

  • 2021: Mandy wins court case against IOC

    After giving birth in 2018, Bujold, then ranked second in the world , was sidelined, and changes to Olympic qualifying rules during the pandemic initially left her ineligible. With support from figures like Billie Jean King and Hayley Wickenheiser, Bujold challenged the ruling, and the Court of Arbitration for Sport ultimately sided with her, ensuring future athletes who are pregnant or recently gave birth are considered in Olympic qualifying.

  • 2021: Kim, Mandy, and Melissa compete as athlete moms in Tokyo Olympics

    Overcoming various barriers, Kim, Mandy, and Melissa return to the Olympics Games, this time as mothers.

  • 2023: MOMentum Begins

    We initially came together as a committee focused on parental rights in sport and soon realized we wanted to take our work further. When the opportunity arose to apply for the Olympic Legacy Grant, we saw it as a chance to create a non-profit that could provide more direct, meaningful support and resources for athletes.

  • 2024: Creating a Bigger Impact

    After incorporating in early January, we got to work supporting athlete mothers at the Paris 2024 Games. Despite our team being busy (Jill competing as an athlete and Kim now coaching Canada’s 3×3 team) we were able to deliver seven grants to Team Canada athlete mothers.


    Pictured is Olympian, athlete mom, and Games Grant Recipient, Natalie Achonwa

We’re reimagining what it means to be an athlete

Through financial support, education, and advocacy, we help athlete mothers navigate the unique challenges of elite sport and family life. From covering extra costs during training and competition to sharing guidance on reproductive options and family planning, MOMentum gives athletes the resources they need to succeed.

We’re also driving systemic change, tackling cultural and policy barriers, and building a community where athletes can share experiences and find peer support.

At MOMentum, we’re redefining what it means to be an athlete, pursuing excellence in sport while making supported, informed choices about family.

7

Olymypians and Paralympians finacially supported

14

peer-to-peer network mentors

1

the only Canadian non-profit dedicated to athlete motherhood

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