'We're scrappy': All-female robotics team competes at provincial championships

Grace Foreman says she's always liked robotics and finds it interesting to build them on an all-femaleteam.

The Grade 9 student is part of the Amazon Warriors, an all-girls robotics team representing the Windsor, Ont., area.

It's her third year being involved with robotics.

The community-based squad of 14 members is competing in a provincial championship starting Thursday in Mississauga.

Foreman's team is going up against the best high school robotics teams, though theWarriors don't have an affiliation withone specific school a rarity in the competitive robotics community.

"I've gotten to do a lot more work on the robot because school teams are so big that a lot of the grade nines don't get as many opportunities as being able to do as much on the robot," said Foreman.

"I also get to be the main programmer, which is really awesome."

Cherie Sulyak is one of the adults who founded the team. She's also now a lead mentor with the Warriors.

Sulyak said she got involved due in large part because of her daughter, who was interested in robotics in her youth.

"I thought it was important that kids be introduced at an early age in a fun way, and this group is such a fun group," she said. "

"Then, my daughter went off to high school and they didn't have a team at her school."

According to Sulyak, the robotics world is still a male dominated field.

"It's very difficult. The schools can't discriminate against the sexes, which I totally understand. But there's sometimes not a place for girls in a high school team. Girls are often shyer in highschool. They often don't find their voice until a little bit later."

Sulyak said the purpose of an all girls team is to give the competitors a safe place to "grow into, mature and learn some new skills and do it in a fun way."

LISTEN |All-girl robotics team from Windsor area competing at provincial championship:

Windsor Morning9:09All-girl robotics team from Windsor area competing at provincial championship

As for the team's chances at the provincials, she said their team is "like all girls."

"We're scrappy we're not the best out there. Ontario has a very high percentage of elite teams globally. Our strategy is to maybe help one of the elite teams to be on their team an alliance."

Sulyak said the team's greatest struggle is dealing with the high costs for associated with registrations and travel, totalling around $12,000 and that's not counting [before]building the robot itself.

"We've learned to be very environmentally friendly."

WATCH |Hear what it's like to win a major high school robotics competition:

'Absolutely electric': Hear what it's like to win a major high school robotics competition

1 year ago

Duration 4:40

Hear from a group of Guelph, Ont., high school students who were part of a team that won a major world robotics championship.