Concordia Stingers women's basketball player Nelly Owusu is the recipient of a Gildan Leadership Award in recognition of her excellence in academics and basketball and for her community involvement
A Child Studies major who is going into her fourth year of eligibility with the Stingers, she is one of five Quebec student-athletes to receive the award which comes with a $2000 bursary from the foundation de l’athlète d’excellence du Québec (FAEQ).
Over the last year, Owusu stepped up and made her voice heard, using social media to speak up against inequality and social injustice. During the Black Lives Matter movement, she did not feel the RSEQ’s response was adequate. She also felt the organization that governs sports in Quebec’s academic institutions did not do enough to adequately represent BIPOC student-athletes (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour).
On Nov. 1, 2020, she posted an open letter to the RSEQ in the hopes that it would initiate change. The RSEQ released a statement pledging to be more open and forthcoming with its policies and intentions, and recently implemented workshops and held open discussions for stakeholders from different institutions to speak out about their concerns and visions for the future.
Owusu also did several media interviews and has emerged as an influential spokesperson and leader.
Since 2005, Gildan has invested close to $150,000 in the FAEQ to support young university student-athletes who demonstrate academic and athletic excellence and who have a positive impact on their communities.
