Bilodeau Makes History

Not very often do individuals get the opportunity to say they made history. On February 14, 2010 one of Canada’s sons came through when national pressure had never been higher.

Alexandre Bilodeau was competing in the men’s moguls competition at the 2010 Olympics being held in Vancouver, Canada. Canadians haven’t seen the Olympics on home soil since the 1988 Summer Olympic Games that were held in Calgary, Alberta.

The most astonishing part is that even though we’ve held the Olympics previously, a Canadian citizen has never won a gold medal on home turf. That was until Alexandre Bilodeau changed all that. He gave Canadians what we’ve been waiting for since the beginning of Olympic history, a gold medal earned at home.

Most of us can remember where they were when a special moment happened for Canada at any Olympic Games. For example, when the men’s hockey team won the gold medal at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, USA. I was sitting in my history classroom filled with hundreds of high school students in my hometown of Port Hope, Ontario.

Alexandre has given a new generation a moment to remember. A new piece of Canadian history that has been written in a time when pressure has never been higher for any Canadian athlete.

I’ll never forget where I was when Alexandre gave Canada the first reason to cheer at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, will you?

Professionalism

Professionalism is a title tossed around in every work, school, and volunteer environment. It seems to be in the tag line of every job application, "must be professional." But what is professionalism to you? Each individuals definition of professionalism is different. So how can someone tell me if I'm being professional, when to me, they are simply not professional in my view? It's an ironic twist.


In the news today was the professionalism of hockey referees. They are completely worried for their safety, but still put on the stripes and go out there calling an even toned game. Kids today have tempers like never before, and there's 122 reports this year alone in the Greater Toronto Hockey League to prove it. I think that referees are the definition of the true professional, as they take more abuse than any other position, yet they still manage to keep composed. They continue to get up and go to work. The most amazing part is they still manage to love the game more and more every time they put on that stripped shirt. That's a true professional.

What's not a professional. You are unprofessional if you are someone in authority or power of a group, and practice what are informing those same pupils you should not do. This is also known as a "double standard." Do you have a boss, teacher, parent, or supervisor who does something like this to you?

If you do, you're not alone. We all do. It's how we deal with the situation that makes us become the people we are today. Its the difference between being professional, and being unprofessional.

Privacy

Imagine yourself as an elite athlete, ranked number one in the world. You have just be named the highest paid athlete of all time. You are on top of the world.

Then one night you get in a fight with your wife. You decide to leave your residence because your frustration is not best suited to be inside. Then the worst happens, you crash.

Welcome to Tiger Woods today.

Friday November 27, 2009 Tiger Woods left his residence at 2:25 a.m. in his Cadillac Escalade. He then smashed the vehicle into a fire hydrant, followed by a tree. His wife, noticing Tiger was injured, came out with Tiger's golf clubs and smashed the back window. She then pulled him out and took him to the hospital.

Since Friday morning all of the sports media networks have been broadcasting the accident on an hourly basis. Tiger today released a statement about how he is handling the situation, and why he hasn't spoken with police. His lawyer has been handling the situation professionally, and has stated that Tiger is concentrating on getting better.

It's unfortunate that Tiger is being bombarded with different media outlets on a daily basis while trying to recover to concentrate what's most important to him, golf. I completely understand where he's coming from, and maybe we as a society should just give him a little more recovery space. Then we wouldn't need an answer, he'd probably just give one.

Fate

I always hear that you "create your own fate" and I have a problem with that. I mean within reason it is relatively true. But can you control that your brother has a brain aneurysm? Or can you control that your grandfather gets cancer, twice? I don't believe so.

But the craziest part is that I watched them both go through it. I watched the human spirit survive in situations where they aren't suppose to. They were determined to win. Even with the odds stacked completely against them, they would not give in. I watched my brother get out of a hospital bed when he was suppose to be completely paralyzed on the left side of his body. He was so determined to walk again he did whatever he physically could. He tried everyday to stand until he could. I now watch my brother two years later running a mile, when he was told he wouldn't regain feeling in his left side ever again.

I watched my grandfather get out of bed when the chemotherapy had taken everything out of him. But he refused to miss the family that came to visit him and sacrificed himself to make sure he could put on a smile when they came. He told me "I can't lose to a situation that everyone else does. That would make me average. My whole life I've been above average, so how can I let your grandmother be another widow statistic? I can't."

With that kind of determination in my blood how do I even consider quitting anything? I can't. It's not even an option. Therefore when someone tells you that you control your own fate, maybe you should tell them a story about how your friend beat this, or your dad beat that. Even when all odds said no, they defied what it means to be determined. Therefore it's fate for them to have lived through the unexpected and change me into the person I've become today.

Who changed you to become the person you are today? Because that's fate. You don't get to choose that. It just happens.

The amazing part about life, is you'll never know who'll change you tomorrow.

Heart

Heart isn't a word to be tossed around. Especially by individuals who've never had to dig deep to fully understand what heart is. I'm not talking about the vital organ your body needs in order to pump blood throughout your body. I'm talking about the heart it takes to get up after you've been knocked down, or the ability to pursue a dream when you've only ever known no as an answer but refuse to believe it.



Throughout my life, I have had significant obstacles thrown at me that I never expected. I've watched things I never want anyone to ever see, and I lived through a sure death experience. I know there's people reading this going, ya so what?



The toughest struggle I've had doesn't have anything to do with any of the previous events. It's the in-ability to slow down my passion. It's all that drives me. If I find something that motivates me, then it becomes a passion.



I'm passionate for sports. I'm passionate for fitness and health. I'm passionate for school. I'm passionate for my family. And I'd do anything for my friends. But one thing that scares the bejesus out of me is the "l" word. Thats right, I don't even say it.



I don't say it because I don't really fully understand it's power, and therefore I don't acknowledge it. Most of people's opinions regarding this topic is muddled because they don't know what it is either. Funny thing is you never know when or what is gonna happen and when. Thats the scariest part. The part that's unknown.



But worse than not knowing, is failing. But failing is success according the MJ. I just don't wanna fail anymore than I have too.

Fear

Failure is a word used to describe a situation that didn't meet expectations of any sort. All of us have failed at some point in our lives. We struggled to meet the goals we have made for ourselves. Whether that has been individually, as a collaborative, or as a team, we've all failed. But the problem with failing is that in some of us, it instills fear. Fear of failing again, and again, and again. The mentality then takes over and limits us from trying to be successful.

Michael Jordan claims that due to missing over 3,000 shots in his career, its made him successful. The duty of having millions of people watching you take the final shot for your team has to be daunting. Especially when you are considered a legend, and legends aren't suppose to make mistakes. Michael took that shot on many of occasions with the game in his hands. He failed to make that shot 26 times. I don't think I've failed to do anything more than 5 times without completely losing my composure, and he did it 26 times. I did it in front of no one but myself, and he did it in front of millions of people.

It was Michael's drive to succeed that let him overcome his fear of failing. He was willing to do absolutely anything to become the greatest player of all time. But through that drive he became more than the greatest basketball player. He became an iconic figure to North American society. How many friends do you have in your life that resemble that quality? Does your role model? Do you?

A long time ago I decided that I couldn't let fear distract me from my goals. That in order for me to break plateaus I had to know that there was no limits. Limits are restrictions, and restrictions are fear based by-products. I don't want to be afraid to do anything in my life. Whether that be love, school, career, family, or friends. I want to be able to laugh without consequence, shoot for the stars, help a friend, love unconditionally, and be a good role model. But if fear gets in the way, I can't. Therefore we cannot allow it to be a restriction for us in meeting our goals.

Don't be afraid to let your emotions out. Don't be afraid to tell someone what they mean to you. Don't be afraid to follow your dreams. Don't be afraid to apply for that job. Don't be afraid to take the last shot with millions of people watching. Because if you never try, you'll never make it.

Impossible is Nothing.

Cookies anyone????

Hi today my title is Corey Black, OCAA gold medal winner. Yesterday my title was Corey Black, OCAA silver medal winner. Now you're all probably thinking what the heck are you talking about Corey?

Well yesterday was the OCAA gold medal game, which involved the Loyalist Lancer Men's Rugby team and the Georgian Grizzlies Rugby team. The Loyalist guys came out on top 29-5 and completing the perfect season. With the victory the Lancers finished with a 7-0 record and the OCAA title.

Last year the lancers settled with a silver medal, getting pounded by St. Lawerence vikings in the final. A day that wasn't fresh in the mind of the seniors on this year's gold medal team. It's the frustration of losing that raises us to the passion of winning, and the quest of the "cookie."

If you've ever been to a men's rugby game at Loyalist, I guarantee you've heard a "gimme that cookie" being screamed from the field. The "cookie" represents the ultimate goal of winning a championship and accomplishing your dreams. Giving 100% to something you want so bad you can taste, and my life is full of cookies to get. But you can cross one off the list. An OCAA gold medal. But it's always on to the next one.

Life is about more than just accomplishing your goals. It's about accomplishing your goals, and continuing the pursuit of your life goals. You should always be striving for the next goal, trying to grab that cookie.

Just remember when you go for that goal, that you need to go deeper down and inside scream to yourself "Gimme that cookie."

"The difference between a goal and a dream is writing it down" - Chip Wilson