#23 - Justin Connelly: Calgary Inclusive Hockey Association

Justin was born and raised in Calgary and went to Mount Royal University for Sport & Recreation Management. Growing up, Justin fell in love with hockey and it has continued to be a big part of his life. He has played, worked, and volunteered in hockey since the age of 16. He joined the Calgary Inclusive Hockey Association in 2015 when he came out as gay. The CIHA has two full time teams, the Pioneers and Villagers. The Pioneers were the first inclusive LGTBQ+ hockey team in Alberta and Justin is a Director with the CIHA. Justin is also an ambassador for You Can Play, which works to ensure the safety and inclusion for all who participate in sports, including LGTBQ+ athletes, coaches, and fans. Justin is passionate about LGTBQ+ inclusion in sport and continues to work on various projects in this area within Alberta. Justin has worked in various levels of sport and recreation most recently with WinSport as Coordinator, Ice Sports.