Karmen McNamara

McNamara won the 2019 Canadian National Championships in Kelowna, British Columbia for Standard Distance triathlon.[6]

McNamara raced for Team Canada at the International Triathlon Union World Championships in 2014 and 2015.[7]

ITU World Championships 2015

McNamara was the 2015 British Columbia Provincial Sprint Triathlon Champion.[8]

McNamara raced her first triathlon in 2012, placing 14th in her division at the SheRox San Diego Triathlon. She trained under coach Clint Lien with the Mercury Rising Triathlon club in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

Vulcan, 2014

Source: karmenmcnamara.com (Retrieved November 24, 2016)

McNamara is best known for her advocacy work surrounding access to recreation for people with disabilities and mental illness through the Victoria Cool Aid Society and Victoria Special Olympics.

In 2018, she penned an open letter[9] to Victoria City Council in support of access to a barrier-free recreation facility known as Crystal Pool and Fitness Centre.[1][10][11][12] She addressed Council on November 22, 2018,[13] and published a follow-up letter on July 2, 2019.[14]

In March 2020, McNamara founded a non-medical mask shop called The Kindness Factory . She was employed as its CEO.[15] The Kindless Factory closed in September of 2021 due to the lack of need for non-medical masks.

McNamara's work to support Ukrainian refugees on Vancouver Island began in March of 2022 in response to a sense of paralysis from other, more established, organizations.[16] Under her leadership, the organization quickly grew to be known as the leading agency for assisting Ukrainians on Vancouver Island, and a model for other agencies to follow.[17][18][19]

The non-profit organization [20] has assisted over 1350 Ukrainian refugees as of September of 2023.[21] HUVI's work includes providing weekly groceries to over 200 families through their 7 weekly Food Share events, running a hosting program, housing-match program, peer support program, as well as providing welcome baskets to every new Ukrainian family, and offering online English classes for all levels.[22] Help Ukraine Vancouver Island Society also ran a children's day camp "Camp Sunflower" for 9 weeks in the summer of 2023.[23]