She Leads. She Inspires. She Rides.
Introducing the Inaugural Women in Cycling Leadership Mentorship Program
Launching this Women’s Month, Ontario Cycling is proud to open the door for the next generation of women leaders in our sport.
A NEW CHAPTER FOR WOMEN IN ONTARIO CYCLING
This May, in celebration of Women’s Month, Ontario Cycling is thrilled to launch something we have been working toward for some time: our very first Women in Cycling Leadership Mentorship Program. This is a program built around one idea that we know to be true: women in leadership change everything.
Whether you have ever thought about becoming a coach, getting your commissaire certification, leading rides at your club, stepping onto a board, or even launching a cycling-based business, this program is your invitation to take that next step with the support of someone who has already walked that path.
We have brought together six remarkable women from across Ontario who are ready to be exactly that: your guide, your champion, and your connection to a community of women who are shaping the future of this sport.
Women need to help other women. That is the foundation of this program. And this is just the beginning. |
ABOUT THE PROGRAM
What Is This Program?
The Women in Cycling Leadership Mentorship Program is a free, structured 6-month experience running from July to December 2026. The inaugural cohort will bring together up to 6 mentees from across Ontario for one-to-one mentoring, group cohort sessions, and a Personal Development Plan tailored to each participant’s goals.
There is no cost. No prior leadership experience required. Just a goal and the willingness to go after it.
CHOOSE YOUR PATH
Where Do You Want to Go?
Participants choose one or more mentorship streams based on their personal goals:
CoachingWork toward your NCCP Community Sport coaching certification or advance to your next coaching level, paired with an experienced certified coach in your discipline. |
Officiating / CommissaireComplete your Cycling Canada Level C Commissaire training and gain real event shadowing experience. There is currently no women-specific commissaire pathway in Canada. This stream changes that. |
Ride LeadershipBecome a sanctioned OC ride leader at the club level, co-leading rides and building the skills and confidence to lead your community on the bike. |
Club GovernanceJoin a club board or committee for the first time or become more effective in the role you already hold. Governance fundamentals, meeting structures, and financial oversight, with a mentor who has been there. |
MEET YOUR MENTORS
Six Women. Six Stories. One Shared Commitment.
We could not be prouder of the mentors who have said yes to this inaugural cohort. They come from track and mountain biking, coaching and commissairing, business and mental performance. They have built clubs from scratch, earned elite certifications, developed coaches, and led communities. And they are here because they believe the next generation of women in cycling deserves the same support they had, or the support they wish they had.
Marie-Eve Potvin
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Marie-Eve has been part of the cycling world for 15 years with a passion that centres most deeply on track cycling. A certified cycling official since 2019, she earned her UCI Track Elite National Commissaire designation in 2025 and has served as Lead Commissaire for track cycling in Ontario for the past two years. In her professional life she leads teams through complex challenges in digital project management. She is here because she believes in paying it forward and showing every woman who wants to step into officiating that there is absolutely a place for her at the table.Cheryl Madliger
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Cheryl has been part of the endurance world for nearly 20 years, starting as a spin instructor before falling in love with road cycling and eventually just about anything with a finish line. She is working toward her Triathlon Coach certification with Balance Point Triathlon in London, ON, and works as a high school teacher in Biology and Health and Physical Education. Having been mentored by strong female coaches and athletes herself, Cheryl is passionate about lifting others up and believes firmly that we need more women in every capacity of endurance sport, from participating to coaching, officiating and beyond.Amy White
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Amy is Managing Director at Lastig Inc., a cycling brand rooted in quality on and off-road gear and brings a remarkable range of experience to the program. She is a coach and director with Attack Racing, a race director and volunteer with London Centennial Wheelers, and Director and Bike Marshal Coordinator for the Forest City Road Races. Her professional background is in public practice as a CPA, CA. Amy is motivated by a simple belief: when women see someone like themselves leading, stepping forward feels attainable.Greta Chase
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Greta holds a Bachelor of Physical Health and Education from Queen’s University and a Masters of Human Kinetics from the University of Ottawa and is a Mental Performance Consultant with her own practice, Chase Mental Performance. Her leadership journey includes serving as Co-Captain of the Queen’s varsity rowing team, coaching for the Ottawa Gee-Gees Women’s Varsity Rowing Team, leading women’s skills rides with the Ottawa Women’s Cycling Club, and mentoring through the National Youth Mentorship Program at Girls Forward. Greta is a club cyclist with The Cyclery in Ottawa and a lifelong advocate for women in sport.Chantal Thompson
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Chantal has been shaping cycling in Ontario for over two decades. She began as a volunteer coach with the Midweek Cycling Club’s learn-to-ride and learn-to-race program and eventually took over that program, which she continues to lead today. She holds Community, Introduction to Competition and Competition Development coaching certifications and works as a Learning Facilitator and Coach Developer. She began commissairing in 2012 and holds her National level Cyclocross Commissaire Certification, with road and track certifications in progress. Chantal currently does contract work for Ontario Cycling, Cycling Canada and the National Cycling Institute Milton across coaching, coach development and lead commissaire roles.Melinda Davie
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Melinda is the Founder and President of The Wild Bettys, a women’s mountain bike club in the Greater Toronto Area built around community, leadership, trail advocacy and skills development. A Level 2 BICP Instructor working toward her NCCP certification, she has spent over 20 years contributing to trail building and maintenance through initiatives with the City of Toronto and IMBA and owns and maintains a 10 km trail system in Dufferin County for Wild Bettys community use. Melinda knows firsthand the commitment it takes to build something from the ground up, and she is here to help the next generation of women do exactly that.HOW TO APPLY
This Program Is for You.
We mean that. You do not need to have led a ride, coached a class, or sat on a committee before. You just need a goal and a willingness to grow into it. This program was designed for exactly that moment.
Who can apply: Women 18 and older who are current Ontario Cycling members. All cycling disciplines and experience levels are welcome.
When: Applications are open now. The deadline to apply is June 19th. The cohort begins July 2026.
Cost: Free.
Apply here: Women in Cycling Leadership Mentorship Program Application
Questions? Reach out to Pam Julian at [email protected]. We would love to hear from you.
Know someone who should apply? Share this with her. A personal invitation goes further than any post.
LOOKING AHEAD
This Is Just the Beginning.
The 2026 cohort is our pilot, and we are building it with intention. What we learn this year will shape a program that grows in 2027 to serve all members, more disciplines, and more pathways into leadership. Our goal is a sport where women lead at every level, and where any woman who wants to get there has the tools and the people to make it happen.
Thank you to our incredible founding mentors for making this possible. And thank you to every woman in Ontario Cycling who is about to take a leap.
#WeRideAsOne | #OCGenderEquity | #WomenInCycling | #SheLeads
Ontario Cycling | ontariocycling.org | [email protected]