Six-time Olympic speedskating medallist Cindy Klassen is in Jerusalem, where she’s preparing for the grand opening of the largest indoor sports facility in the West Bank.
The Dar Al Kalima Sports Hall, which will open its doors on Mar. 2, will provide a space for young women and girls who, until now, have not had access to sports facilities.
“It’s open for females to participate in sports and to have fun and do things that we sometimes take for granted in Canada,” Klassen told CTV’s Canada AM.
She says the centre will allow women to build confidence through sports, which she hopes will improve their chances of finding jobs.
“Thinking back on my life and the things that sports gave me -- it gave it confidence and just a sense of wellbeing…now these women are going to have the opportunity to grow as women, and I think that confidence is a huge thing to be able to live here in the West Bank,” she said.
The sports centre, which was partly funded by the Canadian Lutheran World Relief, a development agency, will be administered by a local Lutheran organization, and will provide space for soccer, basketball, volleyball and tennis.
And while the doors will be open to everyone, Klassen says she thinks the facility will be mainly used by Palestinians because of its location in the West Bank.
As part of the opening, the 34-year-old former Olympian will also be hosting a symposium called “Empowering Women through Sports.”
The Winnipeg-born speedskater joined CLWR after she was contacted by a former high school teacher’s wife who works for the organization.
One of Canada’s most decorated Olympians, Klassen was unable to compete in Sochi due to a concussion she sustained last summer.
