Jeannie Rohr's Passion Project makes tennis a safe place for Canadian refugee women

The following is one of the spotlights Tennis Canada is publishing this month as part of the Victory will be HERSfundraising campaign. They tell the stories of five inspiring women for whom tennis has played an important role and contributed to victories in their personal and professional lives. Be part of the movement and take action.

You saved my life. Those are the incredibly powerful words Jeannie Rohr heard from Waad, one of the first participants in Tennis BC's groundbreaking program for refugee women coming to Canada. For Waad and many others, the program is about so much more than tennis. It's about hope, friendship and a new start.

Tennis has been a part of Rohr's life for as long as she can remember. Her mother loved the sport and first picked up a racket when she discovered the free public courts after emigrating to Canada. She made sure that all six of her children would follow in her footsteps. Tennis soon became the glue that held the family together.

READ the inspiring stories of five women for whom tennis has played a major role

Rohr's childhood inspired her to give back within her current role as Director of Coaching Education at Tennis British Columbia and to create a safe place on the court for new Canadians, especially women and girls, to meet people and learn from them. help them assimilate into the country.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Tennis BC was able to secure the Stanley Park courts as its own venue to operate from. One of the requests from the City of Vancouver in return was to implement diversity programs aimed at both newcomers and people with disabilities. The increase in domestic violence against women during the pandemic prompted Rohr to bring her vision to life and a new tennis program for refugee women arriving in Canada was born. A connection with the YMCA brought 25 participants to the first eight-week episode of 2021, including women from Syria, Afghanistan and Iran. Many had never been exposed to sports and although they enjoyed playing tennis, their fundamental movement skills were weak, so they had to find a level of comfort to move on the court. After playing tennis, they enjoyed a meal together, with everyone bringing food from their culture to share and talk about. The program's debut was handled entirely by female coaches, which helped with retention. Some wanted to continue playing and some were interested in taking the Community Facilitator course and ultimately the Instructor course to become a certified coach.

I had no idea the impact would be so powerful for these women. It was a safe place for them to go, Rohr explained.

Two women, Waad, from Syria, who spent three years in a refugee camp in Turkey before fleeing to come to Canada, and Maryam, a refugee from Iran, became best friends after going through the first program together.

I remember Waad said to me: my country told me to hate Maryam, but I love her, she is my best friend now. And towards the end of the program she told me: You showed me that there was hope and a future for me. I was despondent. I was so isolated and so alone that I am a refugee; I can't go back home to family. I am here alone,

– Jeannie Rohr

Both women have flourished together and Tennis BC even gave them their first paid job in Canada. Waad's dream was to become a personal trainer. She got her foot in the door at the YMCA, where she worked in child care, and today she is an official personal trainer there. Waad's husband Ned has fallen in love with tennis, plays almost every day and wants to become a coach. Meanwhile, Maryam is pursuing an architecture certificate.

Three years after its inception, Rohr's inspiring program, which is about much more than just tennis, continues to provide a portal for immigrant and refugee women to realize their dreams because they have the freedom to pursue them. In addition to practicing the sport, the participants also discovered the many possibilities that tennis can offer them, both on and off the court. Some have taken on roles at provincial tournaments, while others are now mentors and certified coaches leading outreach programs to encourage more girls and women to participate in the game.

Whether they continue playing tennis or not, they will never forget the experience, Rohr said. It gives them purpose and the comfort of knowing they can. They have learned to have a voice, that it is okay to say no, that it is okay to be who I am, and that it is okay for me to have honest discussions.

Rohr's focus for the future is to identify more passionate women who can carry the torch, create new opportunities and more inclusive tennis spaces, inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps and keep the engine running to ensure that The victory will be HER.

Programs like Jeannies are possible because of Tennis Canada's commitment to creating opportunities for women and girls through initiatives like Game. Set. Equity. Your donations help women like Waad and Maryam find their voices, build community, and realize their dreams.

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