How Sport helped one Canadian get her Storybook Ending
Written by Lara Kinkartz on 05/03/10
Photo by LeeLeFever on Flickr
As we watched our Canadian athletes compete at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, millions of us got caught up in the power of sport. Looking at the sea of red and white Canada paraphernalia in the crowds, it’s easy to see how the event has brought us together as a nation. But beyond uniting fans from coast to coast, sport has the power to change lives and to help young people pursue a healthy, positive future. You needn’t look farther than one of our home-grown Olympic athletes to see evidence of this influence.
As Canada’s flag bearer at the Vancouver Olympic Games, Clara Hughes is a prime example of the transformative power of sport. Described by many as Canada’s greatest Olympian, she is the only athlete in history to win multiple medals in both the summer and winter Olympic Games. But before she became an Olympic athlete, she had to overcome some major obstacles in her life.
Clara’s adolescence was far different from what you might expect of an Olympic athlete. By the age of 16, she was smoking a pack of cigarettes each day, using “soft” drugs, drinking alcohol and running away to party with her friends every weekend (The Star). It wasn’t until she was exposed to sport that she began making positive changes in her life. She happened to be flipping channels during the 1988 Calgary Olympics and a speed skating race caught her eye. She immediately fell in love with the sport. With the help of her mother, she turned her life around and began pursuing her dream of becoming an Olympic speed skater (Digital Journal). Reflecting on her past, Clara says: “I want young people to realize that when they look at us as Olympic athletes, sometimes we look larger than life, but many of us have histories. Many of us have gone in bad directions and had lives that aren’t storybook beginnings. They might look like a storybook ending but the beginnings can be pretty rough” (Digital Journal).
Not only did sport help Clara overcome her tumultuous adolescence, it has helped her become a role model for youth around the world. In addition to her sporting feats, Clara is actively involved in humanitarian work through the organization Right to Play. This charitable organization aims to “improve the lives of children in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the world by using the power of sport and play for development, health and peace” (Right to Play). Its programs foster healthy physical, social and emotional development of children and build safer and stronger communities. Clara’s involvement with the organization is fitting, seeing as sport played a key role in her own transformation.
After the 2006 Turin Olympic Games, Clara donated $10 000 of her own money to Right to Play. This selfless act is a prime example of the role model she has become. Further, Clara encouraged individuals and businesses to match her donation or to donate whatever they could. The result? She raised over $400 000 for the organization. At the Vancouver Olympic Games, Clara continued her commitment to Right to Play by making an arrangement with ColdFX, one of her sponsors. For every medal a Canadian athlete won, the company agreed to donate $1000 to Right to Play.
Why is Clara so dedicated to bringing sport into the lives of disadvantaged youth around the world? Her explanation is simple: “sport is an excellent vehicle for teaching valuable lessons of discipline, responsibility and giving young people a sense of accomplishment and self-esteem that will lead to the development of well-rounded human beings” (Clara Hughes – official web site). Clara’s own life is a testament to the positive influence of sport: she is living proof of its power to transform lives. She says that: “For me it’s really important to show young people you can turn your life around. It’s just the most crucial thing is to look for some kind of inspiration, something that means something to you that you can focus on. When you have that gift, and you have that mind set, you can do anything” (Digital Journal).
How has sport impacted your life? Leave a comment below and share what sport means to you!