COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado, USA – Six women representing six countries and three Continental Federations make up the candidate pool for the first election of the World Lacrosse Athletes’ Commission. The three open positions – required to be filled by women who have competed in a World Lacrosse senior-level championship in the last eight years – will be determined via a vote during the preliminary round of the upcoming 2022 World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Towson, Maryland, USA.
The approximately 550 participating athletes will have the opportunity to vote from June 29 to July 4, with the successful candidates announced during the championship’s Closing Ceremony on July 9.
The candidate slate includes Jane Lee (ROK), who is seeking a second term on the Athletes’ Commission. She will be competing in her third consecutive women’s championship in Towson, alongside additional three-time championship participants and fellow candidates Tessa Helf (GER) and Ka Hei Hui (HKG). The field also includes Madara Straume (LAT), who will be making her second championship appearance, as well as two newcomers to the championship: Guadalupe Escudero (ARG) and Maribel Rivera (MEX).
Guadalupe Escudero // Argentina // World Championship Experience: 2022
Escudero has been a member of Team Argentina since 2019, while also playing both lacrosse and volleyball collegiately at Lindenwood University-Belleville in the U.S. She captained Argentina to the bronze medal at the 2021 Pan-American Lacrosse Association Sixes Cup – her first international lacrosse tournament – and will be making her world championship debut this year. She is a clinical research coordinator at the Washington University School of Medicine, holding bachelor’s degrees in biology and psychology.
Tessa Helf // Germany // World Championship Experience: 2011 (U19), 2013, 2017, 2022
In addition to more than a decade with Team Germany, Helf has played lacrosse competitively in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Scotland. She was a member of the Munich Lacrosse Club while earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration, then went on to play for Durham University in England while pursuing a master’s in finance. She is now a project manager for Munich Re while also serving as head of women’s lacrosse and club manager for Munich Lacrosse.
Ka Hei Hui // Hong Kong // World Championship Experience: 2013, 2017, 2022
Hui has played lacrosse at the professional level in Australia, Japan and the U.S., while a member of Team Hong Kong since 2009. She is also an active coach, having been the head coach of the Hong Kong Women’s Sixes Team in 2021, and currently serving as head coach of the Hong Kong Lacrosse Association Development Academy and assistant coach of the HKLA High Performance Programme. She has a bachelor’s degree in exercise/health, and a master’s in education.
Jane Lee // Republic of Korea // World Championship Experience: 2013, 2017, 2022
Lee was appointed to the World Lacrosse Athletes’ Commission in February 2020. She has been a member of the Korean National Team since 2012, currently serving as captain, and plays professionally in both England and Korea. She has also lived and played extensively in Israel, the Netherlands and Norway, and previously served as head coach of the Korean U19 National Team and the University of Surrey women’s lacrosse team. Lee has been a mentor/volunteer for numerous sports and academic outreach programs, and holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in mathematics.
Maribel Rivera // Mexico // World Championship Experience: 2022
Rivera joined the Mexico Women’s National Team in 2020 after growing up playing lacrosse in the Denver, Colorado, USA area. She was an all-tournament selection in 2014 while playing at Regis University (NCAA Division II). She has spent the past six years as a software engineer for Charles Schwab, and holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
Madara Straume // Latvia // World Championship Experience: 2017, 2022
Straume is an active member of the Latvian lacrosse community. Beyond being a five-time national champion with ‘Lady Lacrosse’ club team, she has organized introductory clinics for youth, participated in coaching clinics and is an administrative volunteer for the women’s national team. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in optometry, and has spent the last six years in supply planning and logistics.
The three new AC members will replace outgoing co-chair Dana Dobbie (CAN), as well as Lee (unless reelected) and Sachio Yamada (AUS), whose terms end this year.
The six-member, gender balanced WL Athletes’ Commission provides representation at the highest levels of governance in lacrosse. A new chair and co-chair will be elected by Athletes’ Commission members in November, with both positions serving on the 14-member World Lacrosse board of directors.
