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Speaking quite candidly my experience in sport was bittersweet. Pursuing the challenges which I set and then chased was pure joy.

Those memories will always be a part of me. However having said that the other aspects of sport which were largely out of my control ultimately left me disillusioned and disappointed. There are many in amateur sport in Canada who are sincere in their intentions, generously giving of their time and energy to help others attain their dreams which is such a vital component of our system. However it is most unfortunate that in many aspect sport has currently lost its way.

It has morphed into such a commercial enterprise ripe with self interest and exclusivety at the top leaving many athletes as pawns in the giant game of profit and greed. At the expense of the majority of hard working athletes who personally sacrifice themselves to attain their goals I have found that a select few have been recruited by the elite administrators to form a false sense of athletes advocacy.

The current win at all costs attitude which now permeates the sports system at all levels troubles me deeply. This sends our young people the wrong message and is counterproductive to the attributes in which we should be instilling through fair competition.

The most recent addition to our Canadian sports system is the owning the podium philosophy which reflects an ever increasing meaner side of competition and misses the point of participation and inclusiveness which is not in the true Canadian spirit. This attitude was reflected in the Winter Olympics Vancouver 2010 by the visiting athletes who experienced this first hand complaining of difficulties in access to facilities and training times and this did not show well of us to the world. Also in the way the tragic death of the Georgian luger was mishandled and covered up as researched  and accurately shown by a CBC TV documentary aired in 2011 was another example of this attitude.

It is important that we should not overlook nor undervalue the more intangible aspects of sport which are timeless and..
cannot tarnish or fade like individual trophies or awards. Sometimes we need to reassess our value system and what it is that we are trying to attain through the participation of sport for all Canadians.

It has been many years now and although I tried many times to reach out and give back to amateur sports in Canada my hopes were not only unreciprocated but quite honestly verged on excommunication. Initially it was quite disappointing and frustrating for me however after so much time in which to gain greater understanding and wisdom I realized those attempts were simply shadows from my past. This did not represent the transformation and new aspirations which I have embraced since then.

It is my time to close this chapter in my life and begin a new one of greater relevance to me now. To help me turn the page it was necessary to let go of sport not just emotionally but physically as well. That meant releasing my entire memorabilia and medal collection which was sitting idle in storage boxes for decades. Over many years I have donated many of my awards and memorabilia to various Halls of Fames and happily submitted many items to charities for fund raising. I decided that my remaining awards and medals would also be put towards a greater good although this time it would be more under my control than in the past. I chose to use some of the proceeds to causes in which I care deeply.

Human rights, mental health and homelessness as well as animal welfare are among my passions. John and I have helped raise awareness and funding for them as well as assisting in helping find a permanent sponsor for a struggling young athlete which was so rewarding. We have also volunteered and been advocates for over 10 years now on water safety and drowning prevention. We have also donated annually to the Toronto Star Christmas Fund for poor children.
I am pleased that this year an increased additional amount of funds shall be added to this great cause coming from some of the proceeds of my collection. I wish to continue with an even greater focus on all these social issues in my future.

I am happy to report that my historic 1968 triple Olympic medal collection went to a wonderful collector and curator of Olympic memorabilia in the US. Ironically, he too, is passionate about my causes and volunteers both with the homeless and in an animal shelter in his spare time. We have built a mutual friendship and respect for each other and have both agreed that my medals are truly citizens of Canada and will be returned home one day at a place or display of my choosing of which I will be announcing in the near future.

Thank you Canada for all the wonderful thoughts and wishes you have sent me over the years .They remain in my heart always and I regard these kind words as the real gift in my accomplishments which I have embraced as a more personal treasure than in the medals themselves.

 

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