Breaking Barriers: Lalancette, Oakes Leading the Way for Women in Sport
March 8, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Halifax Thunderbirds News Release
March 8 marks International Women's Day, a time to celebrate the incredible women contributing to the Halifax Thunderbirds organization. Among them, two key staff members, Mary Lalancette and Nardine Oakes, are proving their expertise goes far beyond gender.
Both new to the Thunderbirds this season, Lalancette serves as the Head Athletic Therapist and lead for integrated Support Staff, while Oakes is the team's Strength and Conditioning coach - the first woman in this role in NLL history.
A Halifax native, Lalancette grew up playing high-level soccer, as well as volleyball and rowing. Her passion for athletic therapy sparked early, thanks to her mentor, Karen Decker, a sports physiotherapist with Hockey Canada.
"I dealt with a lot of injuries as an athlete," Lalancette said. "Karen came back from the Olympics, and hearing her stories, I knew that's what I wanted to do."
While earning her Kinesiology degree at Dalhousie University, she worked with multiple teams at the University of King's College. After completing her athletic therapy studies at Sheridan College, she gained experience with the Orangeville Northmen Jr. B lacrosse team before moving up to the Jr. A program.
Now, returning to Halifax with the Thunderbirds is a defining moment in her career.
"I remember being a fan at the Scotiabank Centre, watching big events," she said. "Now, working for a team that brings so many people together is incredible. I even got to bring my mentor to our last home game - it was really special."
Beyond lacrosse, Lalancette has led youth development for Basketball Canada, owns Kinetic Haus, a private gym and sports therapy clinic for elite athletes, and runs Fortitude Therapy and Wellness.
While rising through the ranks, she's faced challenges as a woman in sports but remains confident in her expertise.
"As women, we often feel we have to be better than our male counterparts," she said. "It's frustrating to have our knowledge questioned, but I let my work speak for itself. Every challenge has reinforced that I belong."
Originally from New Zealand, Oakes brings extensive experience to the Thunderbirds. Her journey in sports began with netball, representative touch rugby, and track before she transitioned into strength and conditioning coaching.
She gained hands-on experience with New Zealand's provincial rugby organization and later worked with Olympic-level basketball players, kayakers, and sailors at High-Performance Sport New Zealand.
Her career took a major leap when she joined the New Zealand Black Ferns, the national women's rugby team, preparing them for the World Cup. However, when her personal training job opposed her involvement, she made a bold decision.
"They left me no choice but to leave," she said. "I had worked with these women for years-this was a huge milestone, and I wasn't going to miss it."
Oakes later moved to a remote New Zealand town, where her work with rugby players had an incredible success rate in developing professionals.
"I loved my job, but I needed a change," she said.
Seeking guidance from her mentors, she set her sights on North America.
In 2017, she moved to Canada, joining the University of Toronto as a senior coach for fitness and performance, working with up to eight teams at once. She also launched her own business training athletes.
Lalancette and Oakes have taken different paths, but both have faced barriers and persevered. Now, working together with the Thunderbirds, they're setting a new standard for women in professional sports.
"We've known each other for years but never worked together," Oakes said. "Now, as two strong women leading this team, it's an incredible feeling."
"We push ourselves to be the best," Lalancette added. "Seeing young girls in the stands watching us help the guys is an amazing feeling - one that I hope becomes normal everywhere in the future."
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