Register Now For OFSAA Student Forum!

Tabia Charles-Collins attended Pine Ridge Secondary School in Pickering and medalled all three years that she competed at OFSAA (2000, 2001, 2002). She participated in volleyball, soccer, basketball and track and field. Today, Tabia is her own boss, running several different businesses, in which she is very passionate about. 

From 2007 to 2010, Tabia competed professionally for Team Canada and NIKE, becoming a Canadian record-holder in both long jump and triple jump. Her athletic career was further highlighted when she represented Canada at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China. 

In 2014, Tabia graduated with her MA in Industrial Relations and HR at the University of Toronto. An international motivational speaker and fashion designer, Tabia enjoys giving back to the youth. She enjoys empowering the youth by sharing her story of transitioning from being an athlete to the business world. 

If you are interested in having Tabia as a speaker at your event, please email [email protected].

DWAYNE "DeRo" DeROSARIO WITH HOST BRENDAN DUNLOP

Dwayne DeRosario is one of the most decorated Canadian athletes of our generation. He is a 4-time MLS Cup Champion, the 2011 MLS MVP, 2-time MLS Cup MVP (2001, 2007) and was named to the MLS Best XI six times (2005-07, 2009-10). The former member of Toronto FC played in 367 MLS regular season and playoff matches. He scored 109 goals with 82 assists.​

DeRo also put together an impressive international career with the Canadian Men’s National Team. He finished as the all-time leading goal scorer for his country with 22 goals and third all-time with 81 caps and stands. He was also named Canadian player of the year on four occasions and in 2012 was named to Canada’s all-time XI.

DeRo’s primary objective – and arguably his biggest contribution – is his commitment to the community. Growing up as an inner city kid in Scarborough, he had his life transformed through soccer. He feels that there is a need in our community for more programs that inspire, mentor and motivate youth to achieve their full potential.

In 2014, DeRo initiated the DeRo Foundation in association with the Toronto Community Foundation. The mission of the DeRo Foundation is to use soccer as platforms to help youth within inner city communities develop the life skills and confidence necessary to succeed on and off the field.

Since inception, the DeRo Foundation has worked with community partners at the East Scarborough Storefront KGO (Kingston Road, Galloway and Orton Park) offering free afterschool programs to kids in the KGO community, which is neighbourhood where DeRo and his brothers grew up.  De Rosario and the DeRo United team have also offered free camps to youth across Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and the Caribbean (Jamaica, Guyana, and Tobago) to help promote the sport and teach kids the values it has taught him. 

In 2015, DeRo retired from the pitch leaving behind a legacy in Canadian soccer that will surely inspire generations to come. He is now a Major League Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) Ambassador, promoting MLSE sports in Toronto and community initiatives with the MLSE Foundation. DeRo is also a Pan Am Games Ambassador and currently sits on the Minister’s Advisory Panel on Ontario’s Sport Plan. 

ELIZABETH MANLEY 

Boasting more than 30 years in both amateur and professional figure skating, Elizabeth Manley was the first Canadian female to successfully land a triple-double combination jump in competition. She has participated in two Olympic Games (where she won the 1988 silver medal and became the Olympic freestyle champion), six World Championships, and has won three National Titles. Reliving her incredible  journey for audiences, Manley gives a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what it takes to make it to the top and speaks with honesty about the importance of mental health and surviving the loss of her parents.

Elizabeth is an advocate for Mental Health and has spoken to over 700 schools on the importance of mental health, bullying and suicide prevention. She is the proud recipient of the Builders Award for Mental Health given by United Way and the 2020 Inspirational Award for Mental Health from the Royal Ottawa.

Elizabeth is a Professional Speaker, Life Coach and Philanthropist and has spoken to corporations all over North America including, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ovarian Cancer Canada, Eating Disorders of Canada and US, Ambassador for Health Canada Program, Military Families on Mental Health, Police Association of Ottawa and many more

As a keynote Speaker she covers many areas such as Resilience, Keys to Success, Mental Health in the Workplace and in Life. Her story of coming back from depression, anxiety and a nervous breakdown, four years before her Olympic win, embraces resilience and inspirations to many and her positive outlook living with depression. Her quote is “The Best Project You Could Ever Work On …. Is YOU!” Times today are very difficult, but how we cope is a major part of one’s well-being.

IAN TYSON

For 30+ years, Ian Tyson has been entertaining and inspiring audiences across North America to realize their potential, and seek happiness in life. Ian’s high-octane presentations are sure to keep any audience in stitches and leave them with words and thoughts to live by. Combining hilarious and heart-warming story-telling, observational humour and meaningful life lessons; his assembly programs are always on point.

Ian is one of North America's top inspirational speakers, and has spoken at hundreds of schools, TEDx, and dozens of conferences about teaching optimism, resilience and kindness. Ian's book, "Hooray For Everything! The Optimist Manifesto" is an insightful collection of stories, and ideas about finding and keeping positivity. Also an avid home cook, Ian brings his positivity to the kitchen and was featured on the Food Network Canada show “Wall of Chefs” in 2020, and has an online cooking show of his own called "The Confined Kitchen".

SAIDAT

Saidat is a ground-breaking first black Canadian female children's entertainer, speaker, community leader and artistic director. To this day, Saidat impacted over 700,000 children and youth across Canada. 

From a desire to make people smile and to build confidence in the younger generation Saidat's message of encouragement, self-worth, and community-mindedness is also a motivation for a global audience. She presents a powerful message from the heart that "One person can make a difference, together we can change the world!"