Sylvia Sweeney facts for kids

Sylvia Sweeney, C.M. (born October 3, 1956) is a talented Canadian who has achieved great things in both sports and television. She is an executive television producer and an Olympian. In 2017, Sylvia was given a special award called the Order of Canada. This award recognized her dedication and creative leadership in combining art and sports through her documentaries and big international shows.

Early Life and Education

Sylvia Sweeney was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her mother, Daisy Sweeney, was a music teacher, and her father, James Sweeney, worked for the railway. Sylvia is also the niece of the famous jazz musician Oscar Peterson.

In 1973, Sylvia started studying classical piano at McGill University. While there, she played for the McGill Martlets basketball team. She also played for other university teams, including the Concordia Stingers and the Laurentian University Lady Vees. In 1979, she helped the Laurentian Lady Vees win the collegiate championship. Sylvia also studied communications, French, philosophy, and law during her university years.

Basketball Career Highlights

Sylvia Sweeney was a key player on the Canadian national basketball team for a decade, from 1974 to 1984. She even served as the team captain from 1979 to 1984. People often called her "Canada's First Lady of Basketball."

Olympic Games Participation

Sylvia represented Canada in two Olympic Games.

• At the Montréal 1976 Olympics, her team finished in sixth place.
• Eight years later, at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, her team came very close to winning a medal. They finished fourth after losing a close game to China for the bronze medal.

Other Achievements in Basketball

Sylvia achieved many other successes in basketball:

• She was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the 1979 World Championships in Seoul.
• She won a bronze medal at the 1979 Pan American Games. She was also chosen to be the flag bearer for the Canadian team at these games.
• She was part of the team that won a bronze medal at the 1979 World Student Games in Mexico.

After her playing career, Sylvia continued to be involved in basketball. She helped organize the 1994 Men's World Championships in Toronto. She also worked as a director for the Toronto Raptors, a team in the National Basketball Association (NBA). In 1996, she was the assistant leader for the Canadian team at the Atlanta Olympics.

Each year, a special award called the "Sylvia Sweeney Award" is given to a Canadian university women's basketball player. This award recognizes players who are excellent in sports, academics, and community involvement.

Sylvia Sweeney has been honored for her amazing basketball career. She was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994. In 1996, she joined the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame. In 2000, she was also inducted into the Québec Merite Sportif Hall of Fame.

Broadcasting and Producing Career

In the 1980s, Sylvia Sweeney started working in television. She began as a researcher, then became a sportscaster, and later a weekend news anchor for CBC Television in Montreal. She also worked as a journalist and host for CTV's W-FIVE show.

Founding Elitha Peterson Productions

Sylvia later started her own company called Elitha Peterson Productions. Through her company, she has produced many award-winning documentaries. These shows have been broadcast on channels like WTSN, W Network, TVOntario, History Television, and Vision TV. In 1992, she co-produced a documentary called In the Key of Oscar, which was about her famous uncle, Oscar Peterson.

Leadership Roles in Media

Sylvia has held important leadership roles in the media industry:

• In 1998, she became a director of the Ontario Media Development Corporation. This organization helps filmmakers in Ontario by providing tax credits.
• In 2002, she became an executive producer in the Ontario division of the National Film Board of Canada.
• In 2003, she was an executive producer for the documentary The Last Round: Chuvalo vs Ali.

Arts and Sports Integration

Sylvia has also worked to bring arts and sports together.

• In 2004, she became the president of International Performing Arts for All (IPAFA). This group provides arts and entertainment for the Canadian Paralympic Committee. She produced the 2004 Paralympic Salute to Canadian Athletes in Athens, Greece.
• In 2008, Sylvia was the executive producer of the Marriage of Excellence concert series. These concerts were broadcast in Wuhan, China. They featured famous artists and were the first concerts to promote the inclusion of both able-bodied artists and artists with disabilities.
• In 2009, she was the executive producer of Quest for Excellence, a documentary shown on Bravo Television in Canada.

International Olympic Committee and ArtsGames

Sylvia continued her involvement with international sports and arts:

• In 2015, she became a member of the International Olympic Committee's Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission.
• In the same year, she launched the ArtsGames Movement. This movement aims to combine arts and sports on a global stage.
• In 2016, Sylvia was the executive producer of the International ArtsGames Committee's global ArtsGames Concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This concert took place during the 2016 Olympic Games and featured Sheila "E".

In 2020, Sylvia Sweeney became the Associate Dean of Film, Acting and Media Production at Humber College in Etobicoke, Ontario. In 2022, she resumed her role as President of the International ArtsGames Committee.

See also

• Black Canadians