Board of Directors
Susanne Wereley
President
Rowing
(She/Her)
[email protected]
Susanne Wereley (née Grainger) rowed for Canada on the Senior National Team for eight years and at two Olympic Games, most notably as a member of the women’s eight boat that won gold at Tokyo 2020. Her rowing experience has been multifaceted, spanning various levels including the NCAA, U23, and senior competitions over the course of 17 years in the sport. As a retired athlete, Wereley has continued her relationship with Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA). She currently works for RCA as their Communications Manager, and serves on the RCA National Team Alumni Association Committee, where her primary focus is bridging the gap between their current programming and its alumni.
Colin Hodgson
Vice-President
Curling
(He/Him)
[email protected]
Colin Hodgson is a retired curler, who threw lead stones for Team Mike McEwen, Team Reid Carruthers and Team Darren Moulding. During his career, Hodgson represented Manitoba and Northern Ontario at a total of six Brier Championships. At their peak during the 2016-17 season, Hodgson’s team ranked second in the World. Colin also curled mixed doubles with Chelsea Carey, winning bronze at the Canadian Championships in both 2017 and 2018 and is a 2007 Canada Winter Games Gold Medalist.
In addition to his work in sales, Colin gives back extensively to the community. He works as a volunteer firefighter in his home community of Red Lake, is a youth development community partner to the Cree Nation of Chisasibi, a former KidSport Ambassador and Classroom Champions Ambassador, a volunteer coach at Red Lake District High School and various other indigenous sport and community initiatives.
Colin, who is proudly Red River Métis, has been on several AthletesCAN committees dating back to 2022, and has been a member of our board since 2023. He first learned of AthletesCAN when he came to us for support with a Safe Sport complaint. Colin has faced discrimination and many other forms of maltreatment as part of his experience in sport and devotes much of his time to helping the next generation of athletes in Canada realize their potential.
Michael Sametz
Treasurer
Para-Cycling
(He/Him)
[email protected]
Michael (Mike) Sametz is a Para cyclist having competed internationally for Canada for the past ten years in the road and track. He is a Paralympic bronze medalist from Rio 2016 and a consecutive World Champion (2017, 2018) in the Men’s C3 time trial event. Mike’s international success began to derail in late 2019 when he began experiencing symptoms of REDs (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport). After a rollercoaster of a recovery and with a new perspective on high-performance sport, Michael returned to competition in 2023. In his second international event back in Para-cycling he won a bronze medal at the 2023 Para-cycling Road World Championships. He was scheduled to compete at the 2024 Paralympics Games before a training accident in Paris resulted in a hip fracture.
Off the bike, Mike holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) from the University of Calgary. He is passionate about high-performance sport and ensuring it is accessible and safe for everyone. He currently is an Athlete Mentor with Classroom Champions and an Ambassador for Project REDs.
Grace Dafoe
Secretary
Skeleton
(She/Her)
[email protected]
Grace Dafoe is a Canadian skeleton athlete who has represented Canada on the international stage since 2014, earning multiple North American Cup podiums and competing at the World Cup level. A former figure skater, she brings the same perseverance and discipline from the rink to the track.
A graduate of Mount Royal University with a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education, Grace is passionate about athlete advocacy, sport-life balance, and inspiring the next generation to stay active and chase their goals. Off the track, she serves as the Experience & Engagement Specialist at Classroom Champions and volunteers with KidSport Calgary, empowering youth through sport and mentorship.
Andrea Proske
Rowing
(She/Her)
[email protected]
Despite starting her rowing career at the late age of 27, Andrea and her team secured Canada’s first gold medal in three decades in the Women’s Coxed Eight during her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games. She is also a two-time World Cup medalist and served as the Lead Athlete Representative for Rowing Canada.
Drawing on her previous experience as a Hotel Manager, Andrea is deeply dedicated to advancing Safe Sport initiatives. She collaborates with non-profits like Classroom Champions to share the lessons of sports that go beyond the field of play to classrooms across North America. Presently, Andrea is actively engaged as an international sports commentator and holds the role of Manager of Alumni Relations at Royal Roads University.
Erin Willson
Artistic Swimming
(She/Her)
[email protected]
Erin is a retired artistic swimmer, representing Canada for seven years. While part of Team Canada, her team won gold at the World Trophy in 2009, bronze medals at the 2009 and 2011 World Championships, a bronze medal at the 2010 World Cup, and was part of the team that placed fourth at the London 2012 Olympics.
Since retiring from her sport, Erin has focused her attention on academics. She completed a Masters at the University of Toronto, focusing specifically on abuse in sport and is currently pursuing a PhD in the same topic. She is passionate about ensuring athletes have a safe and inclusive environment while pursuing performance excellence
Julian Smith
Cross Country Ski
(He/Him)
[email protected]
A veteran member of the National Team Development Centre (NTDC) Thunder Bay and the Canadian ski scene, Julian Smith has represented Canada at the World Junior Championships, U23 World Championships and Senior World Championships. He currently serves as one of Nordiq Canada’s two Athlete Directors, representing the voice of cross-country ski athletes from across the country to the organization’s Board of Directors. Outside of competition, Smith spent five years on the NDTC Board and volunteers with The Urban Abbey, a Thunder Bay-based not-for-profit.
Mollie Jepsen
Para Alpine
(She/Her/Hers)
[email protected]
Born missing fingers on her left hand, Mollie grew up in West Vancouver, BC, and has spent her career challenging perceptions of disability in sport. Beyond competition, she is a passionate advocate about athlete well-being—using her platform to inspire younger generations and bridge the gap between para and able-bodied sport.
Off the slopes, Mollie holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science with an emphasis in Sport Science. She has experience as a ski and strength and conditioning coach.
Tristan Burgoyne
Field Hockey
(He/Him)
[email protected]
Tristan Burgoyne represented Canada as a goalie on the national field hockey team. He graduated with honours from the UBC Sauder School of Business and then started his career in TELUS’ Marketing Development Program, gaining expertise in strategy and growth. Tristan then served as Chief Operating Officer at Oat Couture Oatmeal Café, where he led the growth and operation. He has since founded his own company, Podium Mind, working closely with national team athletes to support the development of youth athletes across Canada. He is passionate about creating positive sports experiences for athletes at all levels.
