'I believe in everyone’s ability'

Growing up, it didn’t take Toyo Ajibolade long to notice systemic barriers. An aspiring athlete who was also racialized, she realized that the world of professional sport is not a strict meritocracy.

“I wasn’t in a position where I lacked so much, but I knew that there were opportunities that my parents weren’t able to give to me,” said the third-year Ryerson business student. “When I was playing basketball, I wasn’t able to continue because of financial constraints.

“I realized that this was something that impacted other people who looked like me,” she continued. “The opportunity to play sports or go to camp—these kinds of things that are very common for other young people are not as common for people of my community. That’s when I realized that there weren’t many resources available for those girls. I had to create them.”

Ajibolade is one of this year’s winners of YWCA Toronto’s Women of Distinction Awards (external link) , which honours seven women each year who have worked to advance women and girls in the community. Through the programs she has developed, Ajibolade helps young women to access sports and educational opportunities—but the true goal is to empower them for the future.

“I believe in everyone’s ability,” said Ajibolade. “I believe that everyone has potential to accomplish their own goals—they just have to realize that these goals are available to them. Those goals are within reach and possible. My thing is to let them know.”

At 16, she became the youngest recipient of the Girls Action Foundation’s Leadership Capacity Grant, and created “DUNK Like a Girl”—a program that combined fitness and basketball training with workshops on issues ranging from gender stereotypes to self-care to violence. What began as a one-day event soon grew to a week-long and then summer-long educational experience.

“It was a way for me to create change in a community I was passionate about,” she said. “Through that, I started working with a lot of young women and girls who have impacted my life so much. That has encouraged me to keep going to provide more opportunities for them.”

In 2017, the program evolved into Lady Ballers Camp (external link) , a not-for-profit summer program whose activities encourage physical, emotional, and educational development. In addition to basketball training, the camp focuses on social skills, self-esteem, healthy body image, diversity/inclusivity, teamwork, health, and traditional camp activities (arts and craft, gardening, etc.). Supported by a Toronto Raptors Community Action grant, The six-week program, aimed at girls from six to 16, is available at a free or subsidized for people from low-income housing, shelters, or co-op housing.

“It came from me taking a step back and considering the opportunities I wasn’t privileged to have,” said Ajibolade. “I have a lot of girls who started with me in 2012 or 2015 who are still with me today. They’ve gone and become leaders within my organization. I’ve really seen the growth in them and in myself, and that’s what inspires me to keep going.”

Her biggest goal with the Lady Ballers Camp is to show her students that opportunities are within reach. “I had the opportunity to take them to a Raptors game, and they sat in the Gondola seating. They were like, ‘Wow, how did I get to sit here?’ And basically, these opportunities are there for you. I want them to imagine themselves in high positions.

“So often, racialized girls don’t see that kind of representation, and they’re given a limited view of their potential. When they’re able to see that so much more is possible, that’s when they’ll start having bigger goals.”