The Mary Keyes Leadership in Sport Award is merited by a female student-athlete in grade 10 who promotes and enhances sport in her high school. She is an individual who understands the value of sport and how it can benefit others, especially her fellow female student-athletes. She is involved in extracurricular sports and /or intramural sports and /or school athletic council in her high school promoting and encouraging others to show support and participation for school sport.

Dr. Mary Keyes (1941-2002) was a very strong female sports leader during her professional career. Dr. Keyes began her academic career at McMaster University in 1964. An associate professor of kinesiology, her expertise was in the history of the sport and physical education in Canada, sport and fitness and international sporting competitions. In 1981, she was appointed director of the School of Physical Education & Athletics.

She was a key figure in the development of women's sports at McMaster. She was a fellow of the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation, a former president of the Can/Am Games and a founding member of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS).

She won several awards during her career including Coach of the Year (1989), Woman of the Year, Sport, Health and Fitness (1985), Province of Ontario Sport Citation (1990) and Avestal Honour Sport Award, (1995). She was a member of McMaster's Athletic Hall of Fame.

SportHamilton is honoured to celebrate the accomplishments of Dr. Mary Keyes by presenting a Leadership in Sport Award in her name at the Annual Breakfast of Champions. This award includes attending the McMaster University Sports Junior Leadership Camp held for a week in the summer or leadership training based on availability to a young female sports leader in Hamilton inner-city high schools and under serviced communities. This award was initially funded by CAAWS in 2002 but continues to be funded by SportHamilton to decrease financial barriers to leadership development for females in the Hamilton community.

This award is presented on a rotational basis to Sir Winston Churchill, Bernie Custis  and Cathedral High Schools starting in 2020.