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When women are supported, mentored and given the space to pursue their ambitions, they thrive. 

This International Women’s Day, as the global theme  calls for collective investment in women’s potential, the University of Calgary is celebrating students who are demonstrating what is possible: achieving academic excellence while competing at the highest levels of sport. 

from the U.S. shows that being more physically active can help improve academic performance. Making time during the school day for recess, physical education and movement in the classroom may also support better learning and focus.

, DrPH/PhD, from the explores this connection in her research. She emphasizes that sport is one of the most powerful investments we can make in women and girls.

“Being on a team builds confidence, friendships and a sense of belonging; women and girls who play sport consistently report higher self-esteem, better body image, and fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression than those who don’t,” says Doyle-Baker. “When we keep women and girls in the game, we’re not just creating athletes — we’re supporting healthier, more resilient young women in university and beyond.” 

Driven by the water

Kiira Saarenoja is a student-athlete who embodies what it means to excel in both her nursing studies and her sport, driven by the mindset that makes it possible.

“Everybody’s capable, in their own way, of pursuing what they want to do,” says Saarenoja, first-year UCalgary nursing student and Team Alberta sprint canoe athlete.

Saarenoja has always been attached to the water, first as a synchronized swimmer for 10 years with the Calgary Aquabelles and now as a sprint canoer, paddling through the Glenmore Reservoir as soon as the ice melts. 

Saarenoja made the switch to canoe when COVID-19 hit and all the pools shut down. After seeing an RBC training commercial featuring Olympian , a young sprint canoeist, she felt an instant pull toward the sport. 

“I remember turning to my mom and saying, I want to do that,” she recalls. 

And she not only did it, but thrived at it. 

Last summer, Saarenoja qualified for the Canada Summer Games, representing Team Alberta in sprint canoeing, winning all six trial races in Newfoundland. She took home a silver medal, the first Albertan to medal in that canoe/kayak event.

Saarenoja smiles ear to ear as talks about feeling that courses through her body when thinking about winning that medal. 

“I get chills and my heart pounds because that race was amazing,” she says. 

Saarenoja has the same enthusiasm as she talks about starting the UCalgary Nursing program in September 2025. 

Guided by passion and support 

When Saarenoja was about to graduate high school, she was faced with two choices: kinesiology or nursing. Being a competitive athlete her entire life, she knew she wanted to pursue something that aligned with her value of “leaving it all out there.”  

It was her friend’s mom, a respiratory nurse at Alberta Children’s Hospital, that she thought of as a role model that swung her decision to pursue nursing. 

“I loved her entire vibe. I loved what she stood for. I was like, wow, that would be pretty cool to do someday,” says Saarenoja. 

With her first semester complete and a 4.0 GPA to show for it, she is truly giving her all, balancing workouts seven days a week, preparing for her canoe season in late spring, and working as a swim instructor and lifeguard at Mount Royal University.

But it isn’t always smooth sailing, Saarenoja says; her support system and mindset have made all the difference. 

“It’s definitely not the easiest thing I’ve done, but it’s something I’ve wanted for a long time, so I’m committed to making it happen,” Saarenoja says. She credits her coaches for being supportive and flexible. Before each semester, they sit down with her to review her class schedule and plan a training program that balances her athletic and academic goals. 

Her experience reflects exactly what this International Women’s Day celebrates: when young women have the right people in their corners and the passion behind it, they thrive academically, athletically and beyond. 

Raising the bar

Saarenoja is one of many young women in UCalgary Nursing who are raising the bar when it comes to balancing sport and academics.

Recent graduate , BN'25, was named one of the Top 8 Academic All-Canadians for the 2024–25 season in Dino’s wrestling, an honour that recognizes the very best of U SPORTS for exceptional performance both in the classroom and in competition.

Like Saarenoja, Cross excelled in her nursing studies while competing in multiple varsity sports, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Their achievements show how focus, discipline, and a supportive environment allow young women to pursue academics and athletics simultaneously.

Both Saarenoja and Cross hope to be examples for other young women striving to do the same. Saarenoja coaches swimming and canoeing and hopes to work in paediatric nursing to inspire and support young girls. Cross is giving back by coaching both university and high school wrestlers. In mentoring others, they continue the cycle of guidance and support that helped them succeed.

A bright future ahead 

“Once you break out of the mindset that nobody’s perfect and ask for help, I think that makes a world of a difference,” says Saarenoja, reflecting on advice she would give other young women in the same position.

Her next big plans include trying out for the national sprint canoe team and potentially competing with the Dinos’ synchronized swimming team. Academically, she hopes to pursue a master’s degree in nursing.

She may need to ask for a bit of help with these powerful goals, but Saarenoja says the most important factor is believing in yourself and committing wholeheartedly. That internal confidence, she explains, can make all the difference.

The Faculty of Nursing celebrates that women are capable of so much. Saarenoja’s journey, along with Cross’s achievements, shows what can happen when drive, discipline and belief come together, and reminds us that supporting students’ ambitions outside their studies strengthens the leaders of tomorrow and helps create some truly remarkable women.