First-year Halifax university student leading charge for inclusion in sports

Former IWK Champion Child Van Bernard continues to break down barriers – as he studies sports business at Saint Mary’s University.

Van Bernard has dedicated his life to making a difference. Now as a first-year student as a sports business major at Saint Mary’s University, he’s advocated for people living with disabilities since he was a kid.

“I’ve always wanted to be an endorsement agent for para-athletes to make sure they get much more recognition. I was prepared to move to Toronto to get this degree but the minute it was announced at Saint Mary’s, I made the decision to come here,” says Bernard.

He is one of 10 students to receive the Sobeys National Innovator Scholarship, which is awarded to a student with an above 90 per cent average who’s demonstrated leadership within the community.

“Being my school’s valedictorian is definitely an honour for me, speaking in front of thousands of people is not something I am new to. So, to have that platform and advocate and send a message to the students I graduated with was one of the highlights of my life,” says Bernard.

Earlier this year, Bernard received the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award.

“The people who have won have gone on to do fantastic things and to be in the same topic as Terry Fox as a Canadian is truly an honour,” says Bernard.

“We knew Van was coming in, he had a great voice and we were excited to have him here. Sometimes it takes someone like Van in the classroom to push that needle and make those conversations happen and we are really lucky Van is open and happy to lead the charge,” says Becca Chater, accessibility advisor for the Fred Smithers Centre for Student Accessibility.

Chater says the team works to ensure the school is accessible for everybody and Bernard has been helpful with that goal.

“About 15 per cent of Saint Mary’s students are actually registered with us and we know that that number is actually much higher for students that actually have disabilities so having this resource on campus is imperative to those students, right, so we are accommodating for things that those folks don’t have,” Charter says.

“A lot of folks look at it as we are giving them a leg up or we are giving them extra time or a quiet space or whatever it is but really we are removing those barriers that people might not be able to see.”

“Nova Scotia has the highest percentage of people with disabilities so doing things like advocating, putting messages out there and educating the public is so important,” says Bernard.

Bernard is passionate about sports and has been an athlete for his entire life.

“Whether it’s sledge hockey, coaching baseball for children with physical and intellectual disabilities, I sail, I play wheelchair soccer. And I’d love to make Team Canada for wheelchair soccer, I think para-athletes are unrecognized to the average height,” says Bernard.

“There are a lot of areas in sports that get overlooked and Van’s influence and his perspective and his energy really inspires his peers, faculty and staff at the university in terms of what the sports business program can be and how sports can be for everyone,” says Emma Wicks, senior academic advisor for the university’s bachelor of commerce program.

“Para-athletes need all the same people to back them up as any other athlete or team. So people working in HR, people working in management, people working in finance, people working in data and so all of those teams and individuals should have the exact same support as any of our individuals competing and so I think advocacy work that agency that promotion of those athletes some be at the same level as any sports organization.”

“I think growing the sports business program is really important. It’s an emerging society and I think allowing more people to be interested in team building, in sport and marketing, is really important,” says Bernard.

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