Trinidad-bound for Commonwealth experience

Jennie Petersen, BKin'05, MSc'09, is known for her adventurous spirit: she loves hiking, rock-climbing, scrambling and backpacking. She's hiked everywhere from the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, to the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu in Peru.

On Sept. 8 the 27-year-old departed Calgary on another adventure - to Port of Spain, Trinidad, where she will work with the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee in its preparations for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India.

Petersen is one of just four Canadian interns selected for the Capacity Support Program, an innovative pilot program funded by the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Canada. The 14-month internship is aimed at increasing the sport management capacity of other countries' Commonwealth Games Associations.

"I've been craving a new life experience and want to apply what I know in the area of sport and physical activity in a completely different and challenging context," said Petersen, just days before her departure. "There are so many positive benefits to being involved in sport from an individual level up into the international community, and I really want to be a part of an opportunity to help promote something so positive."

Previously, Petersen worked with the City of Calgary, where she was a healthy living resource advisor and a healthy living specialist, responsible for developing, planning and implementing strategies for City programs. She also worked for the Environmental Carcinogens Unit at the Alberta Cancer Board, where she assisted with the development of a provincial strategy for reducing resident exposure to environmental carcinogens.

Petersen will now apply her experience to Commonwealth Games Canada and the Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee, where she will work alongside staff and volunteers and be responsible for games preparation and implementing a games management software program called Zeus. Other duties will include assisting with grant applications and proposal writing.

"Promoting participation in sports is an excellent vehicle for positive community development, as well as the development of individual life skills, no matter where you are in the world," said Petersen. "The Commonwealth Games is a great place for individuals to excel at their sport and show the world how hard they have worked.