That was the case not long ago when I motored into the rural routes to meet up with Dave Jamieson, a man who never fails to inspire people.
But he is too humble a gentleman to take credit for all the great things he does every day.
“As teachers, we work with students and try to help them achieve their goals,” he said. “In a lot of ways, it is no different than working with Olympic athletes to help them attain their goals.”
Jamieson is one of the thousands of teachers who spend their days in schools inside and outside of Simcoe County, helping boys and girls achieve their own personal goals in life.
But Jamieson has temporarily left his Grade 6 class behind and is now in Western Canada, preparing to drink in every ounce of excitement at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
As the goaltending consultant with Canada’s national women’s hockey team, Jamieson has already been part of Olympic gold-medal wins in both 2002 (Salt Lake City) and 2006 (Torino).
Prior to jetting out of Ontario, Jamieson was the special guest at an assembly at East Oro Public School.
He was presented with a “Go Canada Go” banner signed by students and teachers, a banner he promises he will hang in a prominent place in the Team Canada dressing room.
I have a feeling the Olympic spirit is catching fire in schools across Canada as teachers talk to students about what it takes to become a true Olympian.
To achieve that, you need more than athletic skills; you need life skills, as well.
The ability to rebound from defeat and battle against injury or sickness. The desire to reach for higher plateaus, even when others tell you they are unreachable.
At the assembly, teacher Ann Arksey briefly talked about how she never abandoned her desire to be an Olympic relay torchbearer.
“You should never give up when you have an opportunity to achieve your goals,” she said.
Judging by the looks on the students’ faces, her message was received.
As kids, we all remember adults who influenced us. On his way to becoming an Olympic silver medallist, Brian Orser talked about the time he was a child and met world champion Donald Jackson at a skating carnival.
That moment stayed with him for decades.
Olympic gold medallist Russ Howard was strongly influenced by his father, Bill, someone who instilled in him an early love for curling.
Richard Hart was coached by Bill Howard during his earlier years in curling, and the knowledge he picked up helped him go on to claim a silver medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics.
So it is possible to be inspired by others at a young age. In a small way, maybe Dave Jamieson is doing that right now.
mdodd@simcoe.com
