Inspired To Play For Fun and Fitness
I don’t think I could imagine my life without wakeboarding and canoeing, cross-country skiing and running. Physical activity has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. I started swimming at the age of two and playing badminton when I was six. At school I had an amazing elementary gym teacher who offered morning games before school and running club at lunch time.
Physical education was a daily class at the school I attended. After elementary school I was also lucky enough to attend a school where it was felt that everyone should make the team, and where equal playing time rules were enforced in junior high. I was never a natural athlete but everything was about participating, doing your best, and of course having fun! I began to participate because it was an expectation and learned to love to be active. I enjoyed being a part of a team and trying to get a better time at cross country and track meets.
As I grew up, physical activity provided me an opportunity to travel around Canada and to meet countless people. It enabled me to develop a core group of peers that were very supportive, dedicated and focused. This love of activity has led me through life with an excitement for trying new activities and not bothering to worry about being the best, strongest or fastest. My first experiences are also what gave me the passion to help others experience the feeling of participation and the sense of being included in a group.
As my life becomes busier and the drive to work takes longer, I find myself having to make time to be active. Physical activity continues to be a strong part of my social life and a great source of joy. Although the level at which I play badminton and the reason I run has changed, it is still about doing my best and having fun. When I help someone else experience the freedom of participating in a new activity or the magic of participating in an activity after an injury, it inspires me to continue to play for fun and fitness.