Former Westcliffe student, an esteemed member of Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2025

By Joan Janzen

The Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2025 celebration took place Nov. 20 at Mount Royal University in Calgary. Karen Dommett (née Finley) was chosen as one of the young Calgarians whose excellence inspires others and whose pursuits continue to make Calgary a world-class city. The 36-year-old leader has roots right here in rural Saskatchewan, growing up near the community of Marengo.

Karen Dommett (née Finley) from Calgary is an esteemed member of the Top 40 Under 40 Class of 2025. The 36-year-old major sports event executive has roots in rural Saskatchewan, where she once attended Westcliffe Composite School in Marengo. SUBMITTED

As a major sports event executive, Karen has been instrumental in portraying Calgary as a host city for athletes with disabilities. Her passion began as a student at Westcliffe School in Marengo.

“While attending school in Marengo, inclusion was just part of how we grew up,” Karen said. “Looking back, I have no doubt that the parents and families of my peers with disabilities must have worked so hard and advocated to achieve the environment we grew up in. It wasn’t until I was working in spaces where folks lacked accessibility and disability inclusion that I came to realize how fortunate I was to have been raised in that environment, where a sense of belonging was instilled in all of us, regardless of ability or disability.”

Her work in disability sport advocacy was born out of her role as manager of athlete services in the 2019 Canada Winter Games in Red Deer. “The Canada Games model is a fully integrated system where generic sport, para sport, and Special Olympics sport are all integrated into the same event,” she explained.

In this role, she continuously faced situations that lacked accessibility and awareness but was able to help change perceptions of people with disabilities by making improvements.

“A team of five local Special Olympics athletes were hired as part of our staff team to ensure everything we planned and executed was delivered with input and guidance from the athletes themselves,” she noted.

Following the 2019 Canada Winter Games, she became the founding director of the Calgary Adapted Hub, working with organizations to create access to sports and recreation for young people with disabilities.

During the pandemic, the Autism & Asperger Friendship Society was looking for volunteer coaches to support their virtual boxing program.

“It was something I was able to support at that time,” she said. “In my teens, there was a small group of us from Marengo that boxed competitively with the Diamondback Boxing Club in Acadia Valley. So it was a familiar space for me to be in and a fun opportunity.”

Now she is a leader in large sporting events, where she procures transportation, accommodation, and services for people with disabilities. Karen was general manager of the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games in Calgary, which hosted 1,200 athletes. This required Karen to train 1,600 volunteers.

This year, she was team manager for Special Olympics Team Canada at the 2025 World Winter Games in Turin, Italy. “Getting to watch a group of 134 athletes and coaches represent our country on the world stage was an experience I will cherish forever,” she said.

Next year, Karen is designated as executive director of the 2026 Grey Cup in Calgary. “We can’t wait to welcome all of Canada to partake in the week-long festivities from Nov. 8–15, 2026,” she said. “Especially those who don the green and white!”

Fans from Marengo and the surrounding area extend their congratulations to Karen and cheer her on as she builds spaces where everyone feels a sense of true belonging.