By her own admission, former senator – and University of Toronto Chancellor Emerita – Vivienne Poy was never the star of her phys. ed. class, but she was always interested in learning – and there was a lot of learning to be had at the Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport, where Poy was recently a special guest of the Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KPE).
Former senator and University of Toronto Chancellor Emerita Vivienne Poy was special guest of KPE at a recent celebration of Canadian Asian contributions to sport, physical activity and the study of movement
Poy was invited by professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of KPE, to join in the celebration of Asian Heritage Month with a special nod to contributions made by Asian Canadians to sport, physical activity and the study of human movement.
“When I was a child, I couldn’t even jump over the wooden horse in gymnastics class,” said Poy, “but I have great admiration for anyone who excels in sports.
“Being here [in the Kimel Family field house at the Goldring Centre] has been an eye opener for me.”
Poy, who became the first Canadian senator of Asian ancestry when she was appointed to the Senate of Canada in 1998, addressed an audience of high-schoolers from the GTA, who were also invited to KPE for a day of active learning.
She recalled wondering why it took so long for an Asian Canadian to get appointed to the Senate when they have been in the country for hundreds of years.
“Our cultures teach us to keep our heads down, work hard and stay out of trouble,” said Poy. “We needed to raise our profile and be heard.”
So, that’s what she did, putting forth a motion to the Senate of Canada to designate May as Asian Heritage Month. This year marks the 22nd anniversary since the motion was adopted by the Senate in 2002. 
Professor Gretchen Kerr, dean of KPE, welcomed guests to KPE and U of T
Speaking of KPE’s mission to generate and advance knowledge about the interactions of physical activity and health, Dean Kerr emphasized that movement, through physical activity, play or sport, is a human right and essential to the health of individuals and communities.
“One of the ways in which we advance this human right is by lifting barriers that exist in the field of physical education with regard to access, inclusivity, equity and belonging,” she said. “We do this by recognizing, embracing and celebrating a diversity of ideas and perspectives, and creating supportive environments that foster discovery and achievement.
“We couldn’t do either without partnering and engaging with our local and global communities.”
The gathering of GTA students, teachers, U of T athletes, coaches and distinguished guests was conceived by KPE staff, students and instructors under the auspices of the Faculty's equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) office, directed by Terry Gardiner.
"It serves as a wonderful example of how KPE strives to create opportunities for individuals of diverse experiences, knowledge and expertise to learn about each other and the world we share," said Kerr.
Guests heard from KPE Associate Professor Linda Trinh and research associate Michael Wang about their research contributing to the health and well-being of the population. Trinh is a leading researcher on physical activity interventions for cancer survivors, while Wang specializes in using modern technologies like virtual reality to examine the interactions between human visual perception and motor control.
Vivienne Poy, in yellow, looks on as Michael Wang demonstrates the use of virtual reality to study movement
Following their presentations, students engaged in a series of activities, led by KPE faculty, staff or students, who demonstrated their skills and expertise, while discussing their research or participation in physical activity clubs or high-performance sports.
Students got tips on how to use karate for exercise and self-defense, picked up the basics of Olympic weightlifting, tried dragon boating and played some badminton, in between learning about wearable technology used to monitor physical activity levels of cancer patients and observing the changes in their movement while decked out in virtual reality head-gear.
Varsity Blues women's hockey team coach Vicky Sunohara, on the right, shared her experience with hockey in a Q & A moderated by KPE's Sharon Ng-Morga, who served as the MC of the event
The event wrapped up with a Q & A featuring two-time Olympic gold medalist and head coach of the Varsity Blues women’s hockey team Vicky Sunohara, who spoke about her beginnings in hockey, the challenges she faced as a player and the rewards she continues to reap from coaching student-athletes.
“I was introduced to hockey by my dad, who built a rink in our backyard, and from the moment he put me on skates, it seemed like that’s all I wanted to do,” said Sunohara.
As the only girl on a boy’s league, Sunohara, who is of Ukrainian and Japanese heritage, faced many challenges, including racist name-calling.
“That bothered me and feeling upset after a game, I told my mom how I wished I looked like her, so the name calling would stop,” said Sunohara. “My mom told me they were taunting me because I was scoring so many goals against their team."
Later on in life, Sunohara was more upset with herself that she ever wanted to be something different.
"I’m so proud of my Asian heritage, my grandparents, who were placed in internment camps during the war, my dad, who was an electrical engineer, and so many others, who shaped me into the person that I am," she said. "They taught me that there will always be speedbumps in life, but if they could overcome them, so could I.”
This is a lesson Sunohara has been imparting on her student-athletes.
“My athletic director [Beth Ali] has always said to me that my job as a coach is first and foremost to develop people through sport,” said Sunohara. “I take that very seriously.”