Phyllis Bergmans is known for thinking big and being a dedicated, high-energy leader who can motivate any volunteer who works with her. She is the president of the City of Ottawa Ringette Association (also known as CORA), a volunteer-run not-for-profit.
CORA promotes inclusivity and offers ringette programs for girls ages four to 19. Phyllis is passionate about advocating for youth participation in sports, and for them to benefit from an active lifestyle. She’s particularly invested in girls getting the opportunity to participate since female teams are often underrepresented. During her time at CORA, the group has launched multiple programs to benefit youth, including Breaking Down Barriers, which is the first of its kind in Canada. The program helps children, primarily girls, from families who can’t afford to participate in ringette or who are newcomers to Canada with no background in any ice sport.
She continues supporting her community no matter how big or small the ask. Whether it’s advocating for ringette to have more ice time, sorting used gear, driving around and dropping off donated gear, or offering to store bags of equipment for families who don’t have the space to store it themselves.