motionballU
ABOUT US
motionball is a national non-profit organization that empowers young Canadians to be leaders in their communities, raising funds and awareness of the Special Olympics movement through inclusive social and sporting events.
The motionball University program was established to give Canadian university students the opportunity to create meaningful, relevant ways to support Special Olympics through their own on-campus initiatives and events.
motionball events are putting the fun back into giving, one campus at a time.
All motionballU events are purposeful, fun, and inclusive – bringing together university students and individuals from the community with intellectual disabilities who participate in Special Olympics programs.
Students are able to give back to a great cause while building meaningful relationships with the very individuals who are benefiting from their support: local Special Olympics athletes.
motionball has donated over $19 million to the Special Olympics Canada Foundation, with a significant amount of this funding being generated by passionate university students.
Interested in getting involved? Start your own motionballU chapter at your university if there isn’t one already! Contact sarah@motionball.com for more information on how to get started!
Want to participate? Click on your university name below to get involved! There are lots of ways to help out including joining a committee, volunteering, or putting in a Team for Marathon of Sport. Join today!
Thank you to our motionballu 2024-2025 Sponsor
motionball events put the fun back into giving across Canada.
FIND YOUR LOCAL MOTIONBALLU CHAPTER
Meet our national leadership council 2024/2025
Meet this year’s National Leadership Council (NLC). This council is made up of 14 passionate, dedicated, and enthusiastic past and present student leaders who work alongside motionball’s National Office to help enhance the motionball University program.
Each of these leaders serve as mentors to our current motionballU Event Directors across Canada, providing them with guidance and support throughout the school year.
Olivia McLennan
Council MemberOlivia is from Vernon, BC, and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Environmental Science at Thompson Rivers University. Throughout high school, she volunteered as a coach with Special Olympics, igniting her passion for inclusive sport. Olivia has now been involved with motionball for six years after founding a motionballU chapter at TRU and acting as Event Director for three years. This is her second year on the NLC, and Olivia cannot wait to continue empowering other young leaders—especially in Western Canada! Fun fact: Olivia plays soccer for Rivers FC in League1 BC.
Ethan Merlin
Council MemberEthan Merlin is returning to the motionball NLC family for his third consecutive year. The previous co-Event Director of motionballU Dalhousie is now one of the Event Directors for motionball Unama'ki - Cape Breton where they recently raised a city record of $74,000! Since 2018, Ethan has been fully involved in the motionball world and continually looking to get himself involved by making bigger differences than the years before. As always, he is very excited for the upcoming motionballU season and hopes that his experiences can be of use to any of those involved. Fun Fact: In efforts of raising money for motionball in 2023, Ethan alongside his current co-Event Director at the time (Melanie Clayton) created the initiative to get our NoGoodWay logo tattooed on his arm!
Charley Wing
Council MemberCharley is a returning NLC member and a former Event Director at Bishop’s University. She became involved with motionball after joining the Bishop’s committee in 2020 and has been involved with the organization ever since! After graduating with a BSc from Bishop’s, she is now pursuing a Master’s of Biomedical Imaging and Radiation Sciences at Université de Sherbrooke and is eager share her motionball experience with other Event Directors. Charley’s favourite thing about motionball is seeing the impact that the Marathon of Sport has on not only Special Olympic Athletes, but also the student population. She is excited to collaborate with her fellow NLC members to further increase the presence of motionballU on campuses across the country! A fun fact about Charley is that she has never lost a race in Mario Kart.
Emily Van Berkel
Council MemberEmily, a McMaster University alumna and former motionball McMaster Event Director, is a current graduate student at McGill University. In Montreal, she is involved with the motionball McGill and motionball Montreal chapters! She has been a part of the motionball family since 2020 and ever since the first event she attended, Emily has been hooked on the heart-filling, dance-party loving, inclusive and celebratory organization that motionball is. motionball was such an integral part of her university experience, and Emily hopes to instill this passion in other university students while also encouraging them to keep motionball in their lives beyond school!
Jacob Hutchings
Council MemberHi there my name is Jacob Hutchings, I have been involved with motionball for three years with two of them being with Brock University! I look forward to continuing to aid in the growth of motionball at the university level this year and being a part of the NLC provides the best opportunity for me to do that! A fun fact about me is I am currently training to compete in IRONMAN Ottawa next summer!
Regan Simpson
Council MemberRegan has been involved with motionball for the past four years, most recently as a co-event director at Bishop's University, where the Marathon of Sport has become one of the most anticipated events of the school year. As a lifelong athlete, she loves how motionball helps communities to recognize and celebrate the power of inclusion in sport and community fun. This is Regan's first year on the NLC, and she is super excited to get started and work alongside the NLC team and motionballU leaders to make this year the best one yet!
Mara Majer
Council MemberI just completed my Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from Queen’s University and I am excited to start my master’s in biomedical and molecular science in the fall. I’ve been involved with motionballU since 2021 as a committee member and most recently as an Event Director, and I have absolutely loved the experience! As a member of the NLC, I’m excited about connecting with other university students who are passionate about creating equitable opportunities in sport for individuals with disabilities.
Kelsey Cruz
Council MemberI have participated in three motionballU Marathon of Sport events and have had the best time! I served on the Thompson Rivers University motionballU executive committee for the past two years. Through this role I was able to see the amazing impact that motionball has on all participants. Being able to help motionball grow at Thompson Rivers University campus has been a very special part of my university experience and I hope to help others share this experience! A fun fact about me is that I am the first person in my family not to have wisdom teeth.
Katarina Nizic
Council MemberHi! My name is Katarina and I am a member of the NLC for 2024/2025. I joined motionballU in 2022 through motionball Laurier where I was a student engagement coordinator and then in 2023, I became the event director. I chose to continue to be involved with motionball as I agree with their mission to raise awareness for Special Olympics athletes and I want to continue to be an active participant in fostering inclusion in sport. One fun fact about me: I am a committed Maple Leafs fan!
Gurleen Sandhu
Council MemberHi! My name is Gurleen and I am an incoming MSc student at Western University. I joined motionball at McMaster University as a first year program ambassador and later was an ED during my last two years of undergrad. motionball offered me so many opportunities and special memories - despite graduating, I still wanted to be able to stay connected with the motionball family! As part of the NLC I hope to be able to use my experiences to help out EDs at various schools. A fun fact about me is that I love going to concerts!
Georgia Mayhew
Council MemberMy name is Georgia Mayhew, and I recently graduated from UBCO with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in June 2024. Over the past two years, I've had the incredible opportunity to work as an Event Director for the UBCO Committee with motionballU, and have loved every minute of it. Beyond my involvement with motionball, I try staying active in spin classes, enjoying wine tastings, and spending quality time with friends. I'm involved with the motionball Kelowna committee, where I assist with sponsorship efforts and serve as the mballU liaison. Through the NLC, I’m eager to share my passion and experiences to mentor and inspire other university chapters. My goal is to encourage continued involvement with motionball and Special Olympics, as these experiences have been so inspiring and fulfilling for me.
Michela Venosa
Council MemberMy name is Michela! This is my fourth year on the motionball team, two of which I spent as an Event Director for BrockU! I am excited to continue my motionball journey as a member of the NLC to be part of the amazing impact that motionball has on the SO athletes' lives! Fun Fact: I love traveling!
Alex Partridge
Council MemberHi! My name is Alex and I recently graduated from Queen’s University with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. I joined the Queen’s motionball committee in 2022 and became an Event Director in my 4th year! I got involved with motionball because I am passionate about creating inclusive sporting opportunities. Being apart of motionball was the highlight of my undergrad and I am so excited to join the NLC this year!