A celebration of women in sport takes place in Bermuda this weekend, with the island’s elite female stars taking part in a panel discussion before some of the island’s leading administrators are honoured at a glitzy awards ceremony.

The weekend starts with a bang as aspiring female athletes aged between 11 and 17 are invited to the Young Girl’s Symposium, which takes place at HSBC on Front Street at 6pm on Friday night.

Facilitated by Caitlin Conyers, a former elite cyclist who competed at the Pan American Games and won medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games, the panel will feature eight accomplished athletes who will share their unique stories and experiences with the aim of encouraging girls aged 11 to 17 to embrace sports as part of their lives and stay engaged for the long term.

Olympians and Paralympians Erica Hawley, Jessica Lewis, Emma Harvey, Yushae DeSilva-Andrade and Adriana Penruddocke are among the star-studded panel alongside track star Caitlyn Bobb, footballer Jaden Masters and assistant referee Natasha Trott.

Organised by the Bermuda Olympic Association’s Gender Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the Women in Sport Leadership Awards take place on Sunday at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute from 6pm.

Among those in contention for the awards and nominated by their national sports governing bodies are Patty Petty (triathlon), Jaime Master McDowell (equestrian), Latonia Fray (hockey), Shona Palmer (swimming), Shequita Parsons (football) and Leatrice Oatley (sailing).

The BOA’s gender diversity committee has also nominated Margret Heyliger (swimming), Katura Horton-Perinchief (diving), Heidi Mello (equestrian), Donna Raynor (athletics) and Branwen Smith-King (all sports).

There will also be a posthumous honour for Judy Simons, a former president of the BOA who died earlier this year.

The evening, which features a celebration of the strength, dedication, and leadership of Bermuda’s women in sports, will include a cocktail reception and performances by the Bermuda Dance Academy and the Bermuda Sanshou Association.