Olympic speed skater Brooklyn McDougall represented Canada at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and has contributed artwork to the Paris 2024 arts and culture exhibit under the IOC’s Olympian Artists program. McDougall’s work on and off the ice is helping her spread the message of women’s empowerment while balancing her passions for art and sport. She recently took a break from preparations for the upcoming ISU World Cup Speed Skating event to host a watercolour art class at the Women’s Centre of Calgary on January 16, inspiring 15 young women through the power of creativity and athletics.
For the second consecutive year, 26-year-old McDougall has also been commissioned by Speed Skating Canada and the International Skating Union to design the official merchandise for the ISU World Speed Skating Championships in Calgary. Proceeds from the merchandise will be donated to the Women’s Centre of Calgary, a charity that holds special significance for McDougall.
McDougall was one of seven international athletes chosen to create art for the Paris 2024 Arts and Culture Exhibit as part of the IOC’s Olympian Artists program. Her art pieces depicted three incredible female Olympians, which were showcased at Club 24 Palais de Tokyo during the Paris 2024 Olympics. Women first competed in the Olympics at the 1900 Paris Games, and McDougall’s project, “The Trailblazers,” honours these trailblazing women, the first female Olympic champions. By showcasing their remarkable stories – Hélène de Portalès, Charlotte Cooper, and Margaret Abbott – she pays tribute to their legacies and the path they paved for future generations of female athletes.