Edmonton deserves a place on the world’s sporting stage, and she has dedicated her career to helping our city earn that recognition
Age: 37
Cindy Medynski has ambitious plans for Edmonton, and they’re taking off. Director of sport and culture events at Explore Edmonton, she’s been with the organization for 10 years and has been instrumental in building the city’s rep as a sports hub. “We’re a true host city,” she says, “where organizers, participants and spectators have once-in-a-lifetime experiences.” With her help, Edmonton is one of the top sports cities in Canada and the world, according to the Burson Ranking of Sports Cities. The city has earned the position through sustained effort. “We’re not afraid to go big and bold,” Medynski says. She has built her career the same way.
She graduated from MacEwan University’s bachelor of commerce program in 2012, and gained experience promoting the World Triathlon and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Edmonton. She says her first win with Explore Edmonton was bringing the Davis Cup, the top international men’s team tennis competition, in 2017.
“I love to see things you wouldn’t expect from Edmonton,” she says. “Having a beach volleyball competition in the middle of a landlocked city is special, and very Edmonton.”
The efforts have paid out. “Over the last decade,” she says, “Edmonton has seen close to $1 billion added in total economic impacts from being a sports host city.”
Promoting women’s sports is closest to her heart. “Edmonton is positioned to be a leader in the women’s game,” she says, talking about the influence working on the FIFA cup had on her (she still plays soccer) and the growth of women’s pro sports. “We’ve shown up, leading with the female game in different sales missions to great response. People in other cities say, ‘I noticed what you guys are doing. You’re being bold and sticking to your values.’ That hits me personally.”
This article appears in the November-December 2026 issue of Edify
