Monday, August 16, 2021

Sporting Glory

Inside all of us lives the potential for glory—not just in the Olympics, but in our daily work

By Annette Taylor, Human Resources Director

“Inside all of us lives the potential for glory.”

What a quote!

The Tokyo Olympics ended on August 8. I don’t know about some of you, but I didn’t see too many live events, primarily due to the time difference. Most of my experience came from watching the highlights, hearing updates on the news, reading newsfeeds, or getting updates from my husband. I will confess he has a greater interest in sports than I do! Speaking to friends and family, I know many made efforts to stay up late or rise early to catch live events. That may well have been the case for many of you; after all, the Olympics is a globally exciting event!

“Inside all of us lives the potential for glory” from the promotional material really caught my attention. What strikes me most about this quote is what can be accomplished when the ingredient for success remains the focal point. It goes without saying that qualifying for the Olympics is a magnificent feat on its own, and Canada stood out as a country determined to defy and overcome barriers. In doing so, Canada’s historic medal haul is its greatest achievement outside of the 1984 boycotted Olympics.

The Canadian athletes, the largest contingent since 1984, all came from different backgrounds. Each person had a unique journey to winning their medals—but the single uniting factor is that they were representing Canada at the Olympics. Every athlete played their part for Canadian sporting success and can now be forever part of Canadian sporting history.

We should also not forget that for many of us, the exceptional performances and successes temporarily consigned COVID-19 to an alternative place on the podium. For me, this was a welcome distraction. I’m thankful to these Canadian sporting heroes for giving us all something to cheer for and celebrate after the dark days of the pandemic. However, I’m also eternally grateful for the many front-line workers who had to deal with—and continue to deal with—fear and uncertainty every day at their jobs, doing their best to keep Canadians safe, healthy, and protected amidst an unprecedented global pandemic.

These front-line workers may not be receiving any medals for their day-to-day tasks, but they deserve all of our recognition and support. Because in them lies a quiet and heroic glory.

Sporting Glory

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