By Amanda Hu
In conjunction with the Dinos’ 40th anniversary season, the Gauntlet is profiling athletes from five decades of Dinos history.
Maxwell’s career highlights are numerous. In the 1966 Western Intercollegiate Athletic Association championship, she led the women’s basketball team to its first conference victory. After many regional wins, she represented Canada in both basketball and volleyball on the national team. She also participated in the North, Central America and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation championships in Mexico City in 1972.
“Theresa was one of the most influential athletes the Dinos have ever seen,” said Dinos Athletics sports information director Jack Neumann.
Maxwell’s Dinosaurs career ended with her graduation from the U of C with a bachelor of education degree in 1966. She went on to complete a master’s of science degree from the University of Oregon.
Maxwell looks back on her Dinos experiences with fondness.
“I made some great friends from the university and across western Canada,” said Maxwell. “Being a Dino taught me to always push myself. I also learned a lot about time management and continued dedication. As a result, I’ve always maintained a very healthy lifestyle.”
Upon returning to the U of C, Maxwell coached the Dinos women’s volleyball team for several years before joining the kinesiology faculty as an associate professor.
She has many words of advice to pass on to current Dinos athletes.
“The athletes at U of C now have a number of advantages over when we were here,” said Maxwell. “The coaching staff is much more qualified now. I think we often knew more as players about the sport than our coaches did. There is also a much better support system.”
Maxwell added that players also have to have more confidence in their ability.
“If they have the skill to make the Dinos team, they have to trust in that,” she said. “They need to take advantage of the support systems available to them and not make excuses. They need to just go for it.”
Maxwell was inducted into the U of C Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995.