Testing Limits

by | Apr 30, 2015 | Blog

As we get closer to our June 16th climb date, and the media increases, I have been asked numerous questions about Kilimanjaro. I have done my homework. Kili is Africa’s tallest mountain. Temperatures range from 25C at the bottom to -20C at the top. On the climb to the top you travel through 5 major ecological zones, Bush land, Rain Forest, Heath, Alpine Desert and Arctic (yikes!). Eventually the question comes around to, “Why are you climbing Kilimanjaro?” So then I talk about helping raise awareness and money to fight child slavery, hand in hand with World Vision. That by doing this climb we can prevent a little girl from being forced into marriage or a little boy from being trafficked into dirty and degrading jobs. We can make a difference. As I answer these questions, I then begin to think more about what makes a person take on these types of challenges. Personally, I have always been that way…I love the exhilaration of pushing myself, testing my limits, discovering what I am made of. That was one of my fascinations with competitive sport…you learn a lot about yourself under pressure when you are trying to perform. And I think the same goes with what I learn when I take on a new challenge. I learn how I react under pressure when I am exhausted. I learn what my triggers are when I don’t think I can go any further, what makes me find that upper gear? I learn how to deal with other people around me, whom are all reacting to their pressures in their own unique way....

How Much Do You Treasure Your Health?

by | Apr 26, 2015 | Blog

At times, life gets so busy that we place a low priority on looking after ourselves. We’re too busy running around taking care of work, family, friends…and a whole bevy of other commitments. Over the years though, I’ve come to learn that taking care of my health is the best investment I could ever make. Author Joyce Meyer writes, “I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.” I agree wholeheartedly. We want to be our best selves for those around us, so we can contribute the best we have to offer. My curling career was a very physical one, so taking care of my health was always crucial to ensuring I could continue doing what I love. And now that my professional curling days are over, I find it more important than ever to seek every opportunity to stay healthy and fit. Now that I’m not training six days a week for curling, I have more time to seek out other physical challenges…to follow other passions. Without good health and fitness, there is no way I would be able to continue doing this. In June last year, I competed in the Scotiabank Marathon in Calgary, raising funds and awareness for World Vision. Due to not wanting to risk a knee injury while curling, I hadn’t run for about 15 years. At the age of 47, it was the first marathon I had ever run in my life! The preparation was a new challenge for me, but after a 20 week training program, I’m proud to say that I ran...

What In The Heck Have I Gotten Myself Into?

by | Apr 12, 2015 | News & Events

Winning an Olympic medal for Canada was one of my proudest moments. But the podium was just a pathway for changing children’s lives. When you accomplish a goal or a dream you have poured your life into, there are reminders of the lessons you have learned along the way. Probably the most surprising lesson? Is understanding the responsibilities that Olympic medal brings. It was never meant to be put into a glass case and admired. It was always meant to be shared to inspire someone to reach his or her potential in life. To motivate a high school athlete to give just a little more. To instill work ethic. To show a different path to youth involved in drugs. To inspire someone to reach a little higher. To speak for those that needs a voice. To give hope to a child fighting cancer. You play your entire career for the chance to compete at the Olympics, and then you get that chance and think: “What in the heck have I gotten myself into?” It’s something we don’t think about – we think about winning – but we never think about what our responsibilities are AFTER the win. We don’t realize who we may have inspired; who we may motivate. You don’t realize that you can now lend your name and make a difference? With winning comes responsibility (or at least I think it does) and on June 16th I will begin an incredible journey to climb 19,500 feet to the top of Africa’s tallest mountain – Kilimanjaro in Tanzania – to make a difference. The vision for this climb is...

Why Teams Are So Important?

by | Apr 8, 2015 | Blog

At the age of 23, Cheryl Bernard started an insurance brokerage and propelled the agency to six million dollars in sales in just eleven years. At the age of 43, she helped Canada win a silver medal in curling at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. Passionate about inspiring others to reach their goals and stressing the importance of great leadership and teamwork, Cheryl’s presentations draw from both her business and sport experiences to motivate audiences to achieve greatness in everything they do. In this post below, Cheryl reflects on the parallels between sport and business, and how teamwork plays an important part of everything you do. Read...