Canada's first female astronaut visited Sarnia Thursday hoping to inspire women to achieve their goals no matter how ambitious.
Dr. Roberta Bondar, also the world's first neurologist in space, was the keynote speaker at the Enbridge Famous 5 speaker series that focuses on the professional and personal development of women across Canada.
Prior to her address at Point Edward's Holiday Inn, Dr. Bondar appeared on CHOK's The Talk Show with Sue Storr.
She says growing up, she realized she had to create her own path because opportunities for women were limited.
Dr. Bondar says travelling to space was something she always wanted to do and as a child liked to build plastic model rockets.
"As a girl in Sault Ste. Marie, back in the late 40s/early 50s, it was unusual to say the least," she says. "When I got into the space program, it was three years after women were actually allowed into the military to fly planes. So there was no option when I was growing up of even being an air cadet."
Dr. Bondar realized her childhood dream when she launched from earth in January 1992 aboard NASA's space shuttle Discovery.
She says space travel has certainly changed since then, adding that social media, spearheaded by Sarnia born astronaut Chris Hadfield, now allows the public to follow along on the journey.
Dr. Bondar is an officer of the Order of Canada, appointed to the Order of Ontario and is a Laureate of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. She has received 25 honorary doctorate degrees from North American universities and is featured on the 2003 Canada Post Roberta Bondar Astronaut stamp.