How is everyone doing today!

Are you enjoying WickFest?

Yes!

How about a huge round of applause and a big cheer for Hayley once again!

Listen, it is so inspiring. When Hayley first told me about WickFest, I was so moved and impressed because honestly the idea of all of you coming together and competing and playing hockey and showing not just your family, your friends the city and the country, but the whole world what you can do and how proud you are of being extraordinary hockey players!

Listen, I’ve got to tell you, this sport is an amazing way to develop confidence, develop strength, make new friends, learn about your capacities, learn about what you can do, learn about what you’re not so good at and need to improve on… the opportunity to get out there and push yourselves and challenge yourselves is super important. And I know at events like this, it comes from time to time that you’ll get a speaker who will tell you how important it is that you are doing this because you are all the leaders of tomorrow.

Has anyone said that to this week that you’re leaders of tomorrow?

Yes! No!

I don’t want anyone to tell you you’re leaders of tomorrow because I don’t need you to think of yourselves as leaders of tomorrow. You shouldn’t think of yourselves as leaders of tomorrow because you are already leaders today!

Everything you do to shape the world around you, everything you do to force change, to challenge people, to demonstrate your strengths as girls, this is what we need today in this world. We need women and girls to step up, to be leaders, to run the economy, to run the country, to run the world!

It’s very simple. Girls will change the world! Can you say it? Girls will change the world. Who is going to change the world?

Girls!

That’s right! Don’t let anyone tell you, you can’t do anything because it’s not just that we need you to do anything, you need you to do anything; we need to build a world in which your approach, your solutions, your way of doing things changes everything. We’ve got challenges in the world. Who can fix it?

That’s right! And that is what Hayley’s message is. That is what she has been an example of, an inspiration of, and sharing with you is exactly what this is all about. It is a real pleasure for me to be here with you tonight. I am inspired by everything you’re doing. I’m so excited about everything you’re doing, and I’m mostly excited about standing back and watching the country that you are going to build every single day.

So thank you for everything you did to get here. Thank you for everything you’re going to do for the rest of your lives. Thank you very much!