Q&A with student researcher Charlotte Mitchell

Charlotte Mitchell. Photo supplied.

Charlotte Mitchell, a PhD student in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, is researching the history of women in sport with a focus on gender equality. Drawing from her experiences as a former ski jumping athlete and advocate for Olympic inclusion, Mitchell’s work explores the pathways toward equity in sport, aiming to inspire systemic change and empower future generations of women and girls to thrive in athletics.

We spoke to her about her research.

Could you tell us about the program you’re enrolled in and what inspired you to choose it?

I am currently enrolled in a PhD program with a focus in sport history. I was completing my MA in gender and social justice at the University of Alberta when I was introduced to the program and was initially drawn to the field because of the exciting social justice and equity-focused work within the diverse disciplines of sport, recreation and physical activity from researchers in the faculty. It felt like the perfect place for me to be able to explore research pertaining to sport interwoven with feminist and social justice frameworks from my previous studies.

Your research was recently presented to the Olympic Committee in Paris — can you tell us about this experience and what it meant to you?

I recently presented my research at the Paris 2024 Olympics Conferences on Empowering Action hosted by the Association Familiale Pierre de Coubertin. At this conference I had the opportunity to share aspects of my research that explore my own experiences in ski jumping fighting for equality. It was really exciting to be in Paris prior to the start of the 2024 Summer Olympics and to have an opportunity to discuss gender inequality within the Olympics and the potential for sport to be a place where we can support equality, inclusion and social change.

What inspired you to focus on women’s history in sports, and specifically on skiing?

My inspiration to focus my research on women’s sport history and skiing stems from my past experience as a former Canadian ski jumping athlete and the obstacles I faced as a young woman in the sport. One of the main obstacles was the exclusion of women from competing in ski jumping at the Olympic Winter Games. I was a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the organizing committee for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games alleging that our exclusion from the Games violated our rights protected under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. While we were unable to get a women’s ski jumping event included for the Vancouver 2010 Olympics, through our efforts, a women’s ski jumping event was added to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. Through my experiences of discrimination and exclusion in sport, I became passionate about gender equality and justice for women and girls. These experiences inspire my research to understand more about the history of women ski jumpers’ exclusion from the Olympics, pathways towards inclusion and how to better understand and support the participation of women and girls in sport.

How do you hope your work will influence the future of gender equality in sports?

I hope my research will contribute to the ongoing history of Canadian women and girls in sport and influence sport policy changes to support equal and positive participation for all women and girls in sport.

Who is your research supervisor and how has their mentorship impacted your development?

My supervisor is PearlAnn Reichwein, who studies the history and heritage of the Canadian West. Professor Reichwein has been instrumental in my success as a graduate student. I have had the pleasure of working with her and another graduate student, Lyndsay Conrad, on her Ski Like a Girl project, where we research the experiences of women and girls in Nordic skiing in Canada. This project aligns well with my own work and has given me the opportunity to develop new skills in research methods (such as archival research and oral history interviews), presentation skills and opportunities for collaborative learning. Her mentorship and support have inspired me to explore my own research passions, challenged me to think through these ideas in new and innovative ways and facilitated opportunities for me to share my research.

What have been some of the most rewarding moments in your academic journey?

I have two moments that come to mind when I think of what has been the most rewarding so far in my academic journey. First, publishing my first academic article earlier this year, titled “Carving Out Spaces of Resistance: Remembering Women’s Ski Jumping, Gendered Spaces, and Built Environments at Canada Olympic Park, 1987-2019” in the Sport History Review journal. This article is a combination of earlier work done in the first two years of my PhD, including autoethnographic research of my own ski jumping experiences as well as archival research on Canada Olympic Park. It was really rewarding to see this article come to fruition; this was made possible by the support I received from my supervisor and research team.

The second moment was last month when I had the opportunity to be a panellist on the Mountain Voices and Echoes: Switzerland + Canada: Writing, Stories, and Archives Beyond Borders panel at the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival. The panel was an incredible opportunity to collaborate with other historians from Switzerland and share my research with the community of Banff and attendees of the festival. The positive response I received from my presentation has really inspired me as I progress further and dig deeper into my research.

What do you hope to achieve through your research, and how do you see it impacting your field or community?

I hope my research will inspire more women and girls to participate in sport and to stand up for themselves and others against inequality and exclusion. I also hope my research will inspire more Canadians to watch, support and/or participate in the sport of ski jumping.

Is there any advice you’d give to students who are just starting out in this program?

My advice for students just starting out in this program would be to take advantage of the great diversity of graduate courses offered in the Faculty of KSR to step outside your comfort zone. For me as a newcomer to the faculty, I really took advantage of the courses offered in my first two years to help broaden my scope of knowledge, learn new ways of thinking and rethinking and to meet other people in my program.

How has being part of the university and the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation influenced you academically and personally?

Through the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, I have met and learned from an incredible community of people that have supported me and my research, provided opportunities for personal and academic growth and fostered a positive working environment.