Bettina Callary

Hi friends! I am reaching out to you for a very close friend.

Bettina Callary is a deeply committed teacher and leader in the world of sport and community and a passionate, accomplished alpine ski coach, having coached at high levels, including with the Canadian National Ski Team. Skiing is more than just a sport for Bettina; it's a lifelong love that shaped her early life and continues to fuel her profound interests in how sport can positively impact lives.

Bettina’s life focuses around her three children and supportive husband, Tom. Tom is committed to their community as a local volunteer firefighter and Cape Breton Search and Rescue member. Bettina’s drive to support inclusive sports is deeply personal: one of her children is on the Special Olympics Ski Team right here in Nova Scotia. This connection fuels her commitment to making sport equitable and accessible for all.

Driven by her own experiences facing challenges as a woman coach, she fiercely advocates for groups often overlooked in sport, such as adult athletes, Indigenous populations, women coaches, and athletes with disabilities.

Her involvement and passion have helped develop the Home for Girls, Women's, and Para Hockey at CBU, and are all about building stronger, healthier communities through sport.

While out skiing with her family and friends everything changed. Bettina was on a flat section connecting two trails, heading towards a pitch she couldn't see over, and there were no warnings indicating the run was closed or hazardous. Before she could react, Bettina became airborne, falling approximately 20 feet into a mix of dirt, rocks, and shrubs. The impact was severe, leaving her with a dislocated thumb and a severely broken ankle. Despite the pain, she managed to pull herself to a visible spot for the ski patrol and was taken to the hospital.

After the initial emergency care Bettina was told her injuries were healed and no further care was needed, however, Bettina remained in constant, debilitating pain, unable to walk without crutches. The injury and continued pain in her hand made using it very difficult and makes the option of relying on assistive devices to walk very challenging.

When visiting family out of country Bettina sought medical care again, as the pain was unbearable, and it was then she learned her ankle was far from healed, requiring urgent reconstructive surgery for complex fractures and displacement affecting the joint.

Bettina advocated for her medical care here at home for four months, and without any concrete date for the surgery she has needed to walk, she is making the difficult decision to travel out of country for the much-needed operation.

As Bettina prepares for this essential surgery and the demanding recovery ahead, she faces considerable financial strain, and these costs for medical care, rehabilitation, and related travel are significant and will require her and her family to face these costs completely out of pocket.

For someone who has devoted her life to strengthening communities and championing others through sport, this is a moment where she needs our collective support. Any contribution, however small, will allow Bettina to focus on her healing and hopefully walk again.

Update: July 11, 2025…. Surgery went well and now Bettina is resting comfortably. The surgeon said it went well and was able to reshape and reposition the bones with a couple of screws. So, feeling hopeful for a good recovery. Thanks again for all your support!