Research summary
It is rare for older Canadians to see athletes who look like them on the national stage. Instead, the most celebrated athletes in Canada are often young, normatively masculine, seemingly-straight, able-bodied men. While this select group has come to define the national character in media representations, political discourse, and public celebrations, the average age of the Canadian population is rising.
Drawing together the themes of aging, physical activity, gender, and national identity, and through academic and popular research dissemination, this work will challenge the ways that national celebrations of sport marginalize certain groups, particularly those in later life. By emphasizing an ethics of pleasure, resistance, and intergenerational community-building it will create more space for the participation and celebration of national “others” in Canadian sport.