Sylvia Sweeney facts for kids

Sylvia Sweeney was born on October 3, 1956. She is a talented Canadian who has achieved great things in both sports and television. She is an Olympian in basketball and also a successful executive television producer.

In 2017, Sylvia Sweeney was given a very special award. She was made a Member of the Order of Canada. This award recognized her dedication and creative leadership. She was honored for bringing together art and sport through her documentaries and big shows.

Early Life and School

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

In 1973, Sylvia started studying classical piano at McGill University. While at McGill, she played for the McGill Martlets basketball team. She also played for other university teams, like the Concordia Stingers and the Laurentian University Lady Vees. In 1979, she helped the Laurentian Lady Vees win the college championship!

Basketball Career

Sylvia Sweeney was an amazing basketball player. She was even called "Canada's First Lady of Basketball."

Playing for Canada

Sylvia joined the Canadian national basketball team in 1974. She was a key player for ten years. From 1979 to 1984, she was the team captain.

She played in two Olympic Games. At the Montréal 1976 Olympics, her team finished sixth. Eight years later, at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics, her team came very close to winning a medal. They finished fourth, losing a close game for the bronze medal.

Sylvia also won other medals for Canada:

• 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 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 Playing

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

There is even an award named after her! The "Sylvia Sweeney Award" is given every year. It goes to a Canadian university women's basketball player. This award celebrates players who are great at sports, academics, and helping their community.

Sylvia Sweeney has been honored many times for her basketball achievements:

• She was inducted into the Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame in 1994.
• She joined the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1996.
• She was added to the Québec Merite Sportif Hall of Fame in 2000.

Television and Producing

Sylvia Sweeney has had a very successful career in television.

Early TV Work

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

Producing Documentaries

Sylvia then started her own production company called Elitha Peterson Productions. She has produced many award-winning documentaries. These shows have been shown on channels like WTSN, W Network, TVOntario, History Television, and Vision TV.

One special documentary she co-produced in 1992 was called In the Key of Oscar. This film was about her uncle, the famous jazz musician Oscar Peterson.

Leadership Roles

Sylvia has also held important leadership roles in the media world:

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

Arts and Sports Events

Sylvia has also worked to combine arts and sports.

• 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 a special event in Athens, Greece, in 2004 to honor Canadian Paralympic athletes.
• In 2008, she was the executive producer for the Marriage of Excellence concert series. These concerts were broadcast in Wuhan, China. They featured famous artists and promoted the idea of able-bodied artists and artists with disabilities performing together.
• In 2009, she was the executive producer of Quest for Excellence, a documentary shown on Bravo Television.
• In 2015, Sylvia became a member of the International Olympic Committee's Culture and Olympic Heritage Commission. In the same year, she started the ArtsGames Movement.
• In 2016, she was the executive producer of the International ArtsGames Committee's concert in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This concert happened during the 2016 Olympic Games.

Recent Work

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

See also

• Black Canadians