Dalhousie is filled with talented, inspiring and incredible ladies. One of them is Rebecca Haworth.
Haworth completed her undergrad at Dal with an Honours in Psychology, and is now in her third year of Dalhousie medical school.
Haworth was a star high jumper on the varsity track team throughout her undergraduate degree and her first year of medical school. Her athletic abilities earned her three Atlantic University Sport (AUS) championship wins in her first three years, and she placed fourth at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) championships in 2013.
In addition to her impressive athletic feats, Haworth is also a two-time winner of the Dalhousie President’s Award, which recognizes an individual who best combines academics, leadership and fair play.
While she was involved with the Tigers Varsity Council in 2012, Haworth started the Special Tigers Program, which pairs varsity athletes with children that have intellectual disabilities to share their love for sports.
Haworth convinced the Varsity Council to get onboard with this project, and with the help from the athletics department, the athletic director and Special Olympics Nova Scotia, the program came into fruition.
Haworth’s inspiration to start the Special Tigers Program came from her involvement with coaching Special Olympics in swimming and track in high school. Transitioning into university, she wanted to continue that legacy and stay connected with the community.
“The kids that come to Special Tigers think it’s really cool to be paired with varsity athletes,” said Harworth.
One of Haworth’s most rewarding experiences as a student athlete was travelling to Gwangju, Korea in the summer of 2015 to compete in the World University Games.
When a monsoon hit Korea during the time of her competition, Haworth learned to make the most of all circumstances. Making the best of all circumstances can be applied to her balancing act as a student athlete.
Often her day begins at 8:00 a.m. and does not end until midnight; Haworth says she thrives on a busy schedule, and knowing that her work is benefitting others makes it all worthwhile.
She recalls a particularly rewarding experience with a child in the Special Tigers Program who was very shy when he first started attending the program, but after coming to many more events, became more social and enjoyed participating in the activities.
Haworth advises student athletes who are trying to excel inside and outside the classroom to follow your passions,
“When someone is doing something that they enjoy doing, it’s a lot easier to put in the effort,” said Haworth, “if your sport is something you love, you are going to want to dedicate yourself fully to it, it is a lot easier to write papers on the bus or plane when it’s something you’re interested in.”
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