Helen Doberstein was born in Etobicoke, in the early thirties. She grew up here with her 5 brothers and 4 sisters, attending Fifth Street Public school and Mimico High.

She began her softball career in 1951, playing for the Goodyear team at Rotary Park in the Lakeshore industrial league. The following year she began pitching in the Women’s League at Sunnyside.

Helen lived in Etobicoke up until her early 20s. In 1956, pitched in the East Toronto Senior League before moving to the Monarch Park League, where she stayed until 1963.

An injury forced her retirement, but she returned in even better form to compete across the country. Not only did she take her team to win the Ontario Ladies Championship in 1967, ‘68 and ‘69, but she went on to win the Women’s Canadian Championship in Vancouver in 1967 and in Winnipeg in 1968.

The 1967 championship in Vancouver brought her the honour of being named Outstanding Pitcher.

In 1969, in Halifax, this outstanding athlete from Etobicoke was winner of the first Canada Summer Games Championships.

Two of Helen’s sisters still live in Etobicoke.