The Empire Club of Canada Presents
Empire Club Team Canada’s Olympic Journey
Chairman: Sal Rabbani, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Moderator
Devin Heroux, Reporter, CBC News & CBC Sports
Distinguished Guest Speakers
Skylar Park, Olympian, and Pan American Champion, Team Canada
David Shoemaker, Chief Executive Officer & Secretary General, Canadian Olympic Committee
Bruny Surin, Chef de Mission, Team Canada, Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Bob Veruela Jr., National Program Director, Unity Charity
Mahad Shoaib, Development Director, Unity Charity
Head Table Guests
Lori-Ann Beausoleil, FCPA, FCA, Corporate Director, Metro Foods, Brookfield Real Estate Income Trust, Canadian Apartment REIT and Slate Office REIT, Co-Founder, Board Diversity Network Inc.,
Dr. Wanda Costen, Dean, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University
Ashley Curran, Associate Vice President, Community Impact and Sport Partnerships, Canadian Tire
Kent Emerson, Strategic Lead, Empire Club of Canada
David Kennedy, Vice President, Brand and Sponsorship, Bell
Devorah Lithwick, Senior Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, Bell
Saurabh Popat, 2nd Vice-Chair, Empire Club of Canada
Hon. David R. Peterson, P.C., K.C., Chairman Emeritus, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP
Marc Porcelli, CEO, Outcome Performance Ltd.
Krishna Rathee, Owner and Lead Instructor, Kumon Math and Reading Centre of Scarborough – Malvern
Eva Salem, Senior Vice President Marketing and Brand, Canadian Tire
Ajit Someshwar, Founder and Chairman, CSI Group of Companies, Co-founder and past Chair, Canada India Foundation
Introduction
It is a great honour for me to be here at the Empire Club of Canada today, which is arguably the most famous, and historically relevant speaker’s podium to have ever existed in Canada. It has offered its podium to such international luminaries as Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Audrey Hepburn, the Dalai Lama, Indira Gandhi, and closer to home, from Pierre Trudeau to Justin Trudeau; literally generations of our great nation’s leaders, alongside with those of the world’s top international diplomats, heads of state, and business, and thought leaders.
It is a real honour, and distinct privilege to be invited to speak to the Empire Club of Canada, which has been welcoming international diplomats, leaders in business, and in science, and in politics. When they stand at that podium, they speak not only to the entire country, but they can speak to the entire world.
Welcome Address by Sal Rabbani, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Hello, everyone. Welcome to the Empire Club of Canada, the country’s go-to forum for conversations that matter, for 120 years now.
To formally begin this afternoon, I want to acknowledge that we’re gathering today on the traditiona, and treaty lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the homelands of the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. Their stewardship of this land, profound cultural heritage, and continued connection to these territories are essential parts of Toronto’s identity. We encourage everyone to learn more about the Traditional Territory on which you work, and live. This is an essential step to Reconciliation, and each, and every one of us has a role to play.
I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome our distinguished guests. We have Skylar Park, Olympian, Pan American champion, and Paris-qualifying Taekwondo athlete, David Shoemaker, Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Olympic Committee, and Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, in a conversation moderated by Devin Heroux, reporter, CBC News, and CBC Sports. Devin, welcome to the Empire Club. Everyone, it’s an honour to have you.
The Empire Club of Canada is a not-for-profit organization, and we’d like to recognize our sponsors, who made this event possible and complementary for our online viewers to attend. Thank you to our Lead Event Sponsors, RBC, Bell, Canadian Tire, and Lululemon. And thank you to our Supporting Sponsor, Air Canada. And lastly, thank you to our Season Sponsors, AWS, Bruce Power, and Hydro One. As a club of record, all Empire Club of Canada events are available on demand on our website. As always, we accept questions from the audience for our speakers, and for those of you in the room, you can undertake to scan that QR code found, in your program. And our online attendees can use the question box underneath the video player.
This has to be one of my favourite events this season—I’m always asked, but this stands up there. First, we get a sneak peek behind the scenes of the 2024, the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which I believe is an incredible opportunity. You know, we have more than 350 Canadian athletes that are heading to Paris in July. We get to wish them luck, and also learn about the ins-and-outs of Canada’s participation at the biggest multi-sport event on Earth. Second, sport has this magic power of bringing us all together—we talked about this earlier upstairs when were doing a book signing—you know, it unites nations, generations, and transcends all differences. This summer, in Paris, thousands of athletes will show us the power of fair competition, of diversity, and inclusion, and of unity. And to show us, in the room, and everywhere, and millions of people like us around the world, folks coming together to cheer for these athletes, and to celebrate their success. You know, in a world marked by polarization and conflict, the Olympics is one of the few unifying events that we have. And honestly, looking at the world right now, there are few more inspiring things than that.
You know, today we get to celebrate our incredible Team Canada, the work of our Olympic Committee, and Canada’s achievements, and future aspirations. We also get to applaud our athletes. You are role models for all of us, and especially for the younger generations. And a special shout out, we have students and athletes here that are joining us from Humber College, here in the Greater Toronto Area, and Queen’s University, Kingston. It’s great to have you here. And to those athletes, you show us what we can accomplish if we dream bigger, and strive for greatness, so thank you.
At the Empire Club of Canada, we believe that it’s only through meaningful, inspiring, and unifying conversations that we can move forward. I look forward to hearing from our distinguished guests. Thank you again for your work, and your tireless dedication to Canada. I’d now like to take this opportunity to welcome to the stage David Heroux, Skylar Park, David Shoemaker, and Bruny Surin. Thank you.
[VIDEO:]
Michael J. Fox, Actor & Activist:When we see Maggie McNeil, she’s an Olympic gold medallist, gliding through the pool; what we don’t see is a person who refuses to let anxiety keep her from the starting block. When we see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the man’s unstoppable; what we don’t see is a skinny kid who got cut from his high school team. We don’t see Maude Charron being forced to change weight classes, after she won Olympic gold, Ellie Black hearing she’s just too old to compete, as she prepares for her fourth Olympic Games, or Andre De Grasse dealing with all the doubters, including himself. What we don’t see makes these athletes who they are. What we don’t see makes us all who we are. We’re all bravely facing the odds in our lives. And our bravery is our victory.
[END OF VIDEO]
Devin Heroux, Reporter, CBC News & CBC Sports
Good afternoon everyone, it is an honour to be here. Devin Heroux, with CBC Sports; absolutely thrilled to be alongside this powerhouse team here today. A note on that, it’s the first time we’ve really collaborated, David, in such a meaningful way, on this campaign ad, “Brave is Unbeatable.” And, and a quick note on it, you know, we have Michael J. Fox doing the English version of it, his voice—and what a hero he is in our country, but— [Applause] exactly—and Céline Dion voicing the French version. And in our newsroom, as we were going through this, you know, NBC has their superstars, and their glitzy—I said I’d put our athletes, Michael J. Fox, and Céline Dion, up against anybody in the world. So, outstanding on that. We are 64 days away from the Olympics; we are 97 days away from the Paralympics. What a time to be a fan of sports in this country—a WNBA announcement in the city today, this place is buzzing. So, let’s get into it. Skylar Park, it’s exactly a year ago today, I rolled out a feature on your family. Listen to this: a family of 16 Black-Belt members, three generations of, of Taekwondo athletes, with a slogan of “A family that kicks together, sticks together.” Skylar Park is getting ready to go to her second Olympics, and the first with fans in the stands. Skylar, how are you? And wonderful to see you.
Skylar Park, Olympian, and Pan American Champion, Team Canada
I know, it’s wonderful to see you, too. I’m so excited to be here today. It’s an honour to be on this panel, alongside all these incredible people—men, I guess—but yeah, no, I’m super excited, like you said. We’re just days away from the Olympics, but who’s counting?
Devin Heroux
Right. I am, you are, I know you are. What is it like to be in such a different place? The extraordinary hurdles and challenges you face—their house has been overhauled into a Dojo, literally. So, you’re doing your training in that, in the midst of a pandemic. Now, you’re able to move freely, and train freely. How, how much of a difference has that made?
Skylar Park
I think it’s a huge difference. I think seeing the preparation from Tokyo compared to now for Paris, it’s like night and day. And I think with that is, is partially because we were preparing in the midst of COVID. But then also, just, I think, having competed in Olympic Games, and having experienced that—although everyone who’s been to ones before says that wasn’t the real thing…
Devin Heroux
Right.
Skylar Park
…so, I’m excited for Paris. But I think just having that Olympic experience under my belt, and kind of knowing what to expect, and just the growth, and things that I learned from being in Tokyo. And I think I’m carrying forward with me a lot of new things coming into Paris, and just a different perspective, and a different way of preparation. I think for myself, as well as my dad, like he’s, like you said, it’s a whole family thing, and my dad’s been my coach since I could walk—before that, probably—but, so I think it’s interesting, because he’s been a, he’s never coached at this high-performance level until I competed at this level. And so, every time that I was learning something new, he was as well, as a coach.
Devin Heroux
Wow.
Skylar Park
And so, I think for both of us, having experienced the Olympic Games for the first time, we’re both carrying a new perspective, and new preparation into Paris.
Devin Heroux
For sure. Jay, your father, Jay Park…
Skylar Park
Yes.
Devin Heroux
…five decades ago, started in Korea as a Taekwondo Black-Belt master, and now carrying that tradition here in Canada, in Winnipeg, exceptional. David, congratulations to you, and the entire Canadian Olympic Committee, this brand, this team is everywhere. What’s it like to be leading this at a time when it feels like there’s real momentum around our athletes in this country?
David Shoemaker, Chief Executive Officer & Secretary General, Canadian Olympic Committee
It’s a dream, Devin.
Devin Heroux
Yeah.
David Shoemaker
I’ve had the pleasure of working in sport for over two decades now…
Devin Heroux
M’hm (affirmative).
David Shoemaker
…and, and in some pretty cool sports. I worked with the Women’s Tennis Association for seven years, also the NBA for seven years. It meant I got to work with the likes of Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova, Stephen Curry, LeBron James. I put Canadian Olympians up against any athlete that I ever worked with. There’s something that makes them tick. The drive, the character, the integrity, about Canadian Olympians is just incredible. I’m sitting here next to friggin’ Bruny Surin. We introduced him as the Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, it was like, umm, excuse me, everyone, you know, he won one of the most important gold medals in Canadian Olympic history, in Atlanta, in 1996? [Applause] And a plug for Air Canada, which shows the documentary on that, I encourage you to watch it. And then this next generation of athletes. Skylar’s incredible; I watched her become the Pan American champion in Santiago, and then immediately, go from that into a Taekwondo club, and inspire a generation of Chilean kids, with her whole family. It’s just incredible. And so, the third-ranked Taekwondo athlete in the world, and she’s got her sights set on some very big goals in Paris, and our job is to do everything we can do to support them. And it gives me great pride, and joy every single day.
Devin Heroux
Wonderful. We’re going to get more into that, and the planning that the Canadian Olympic Committee is doing. Bruny, the man—one of the men—who made us love Saturday nights in Georgia. You and I have had many conversations since you were named Chef de Mission. I don’t know if there’s a more proud Canadian. When you reflect on that moment that David mentioned, 1996, I loved the answer—and I would love the club to hear it today—about what you said as you evolved, and come to understand what that meant to the hearts and minds of Canadians. Because there were moments that made you realize how much of a turning point that was for Canada.
Bruny Surin, Chef de Mission, Team Canada, Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Yes, after 96, of course, that we celebrated Canada. I was on the podium hearing the Canadian anthem, and seeing the flag raising and everything. It was so much emotion. And sometimes people ask me, how did I feel? And it’s almost that I was, I was going to, to, to faint, in that moment. It was huge. And years later, I remember I was giving a conference, and somebody came to me and said, “I remember where I was, what I was doing when we won the gold medal.” And I was like, wait a minute—did that person just say “we”? We, as a Canadian. And now, as Chef de Mission, I can say it back. I see you guys. I talk to a lot of you before we came here, and you guys, the excitement, the support that you guys are giving, you are part of that team. It’s not myself, it’s not only for Skylar; it’s us, as Canadians. And one thing I said, also, I want us to be even more united—and that’s the power of, of wearing this. When you wear this, I’m wearing this, and I feel like I want to run back.
Devin Heroux
I think you’re ready to go.
Bruny Surin
I’m ready to go.
Devin Heroux
Bruny, we might meet you in the third leg, in in Paris.
Bruny Surin
It’s like guys, I’ve been, like—and going, going there is going to be, it’s going to be so exciting. Some of you is going to be there, some of you is going to watch it on, on, on TV, and what you guys doing. It’s like, great. We, as athletes—ex-athletes, future athletes, again—we feel that, and we appreciate, and we want to thank you all, also, for that.
Devin Heroux
Bruny, you’ve been everywhere. And, and just to know, I’m sure everyone of us in this room probably know, it was a “where were you, when…” moment, when that team won. That summer, in ’96, which you guys did, I think—and I’ve said this to you many times—was a real turning point. Chef de Mission. How, how do you describe that? Because some people I’ve talked to think you cook for the team. It’s not cooking for the team.
David Shoemaker
Not once.
Bruny Surin
Not once.
Devin Heroux
Not once.
Bruny Surin
I can’t cook.
Devin Heroux
Describe your role. Because I think you’ve said cheerleader, all of these things. But, but you wear many hats. And you’re supporting our team.
Bruny Surin
Yes, this is a role that, like, I take very—I didn’t take it for granted, I really appreciate it. It would be, like, to be saying that the spokesperson of the, of the team. And I know that all the athletes, they have the support already—the coach, and everything—we’re kind of in the background, if you need anything, advice. I’ve participated at four Olympics; I had great moments, and also moments that were very difficult. So, I can share my stories with the athletes. The role also is—I say that with all humility—to try to inspire as much as athletes, coaches, federation, that I can. And this is a work that I’ve been starting to do, like, a year ago. Like, I went to, for example, World Championship in canoe and kayak; I met the athletes, I met the coaches, the Federation, and I want us to create that relationship, so once I’m going to be in Paris as a spokesperson, let’s say, Chef de Mission, I want to know as much as athletes as, as I can. And of course, in Paris, you’re going to see me yelling and cheering there, the athletes, and that’s going to be, that’s going to be amazing. That’s the role of the Chef de Mission.
Devin Heroux
Outstanding, Bruny. Skylar, you have been so revealing, and it’s been a, a wonderful thing to see you open up about your relationship with expectations, and pressure. No greater pressure than on the biggest athletic stage in the world. Maybe share with the audience a little bit about how you’ve navigated, really becoming the poster-person for Taekwondo in this country, the, the great expectations going into Tokyo, resetting after that, and now getting ready to go into the Paris Olympics with a different perspective. Take our audience through that, because you speak really eloquently on that.
Skylar Park
Yeah, I think it’s, it’s been a long journey for sure. I mean, I stepped onto the world stage for the first time in 2016, when I won the Junior World Championships. And after that, World Taekwondo kind of put me out there as the new face of Taekwondo, the one that was going to come and beat all these past Olympians. And so, I think, I then transitioned into being a senior athlete, and came on the scene. And I mean, I did well—but I didn’t maybe do quite as well as everyone had hoped. And I think part of that was dealing with that pressure and, and, and the expectations of—I think at that time, it was the world of Taekwondo. And so, I struggled with that a lot. And I mean, I was performing well enough, but I wasn’t performing up to my potential, and what my dad and I knew that I was capable of doing. And that was hard for a long time, to kind of always feel like you were—I mean, I was on the podium, but I was like, in my own mind, I was falling short.
Devin Heroux
M’hm (affirmative).
Skylar Park
And so, I think I struggled with that a lot. And then leading into Tokyo, I was very grateful I had a lot of support from incredible partners, like we have here, and a lot of support from the Canadian Olympic Committee. And there was some hype around that, I’d say, like you said. I was the only athlete, at the time, qualified in Taekwondo, I’d been the only athlete who’d won a World Championship medal in 10 or so years, in the sport, from Canada. And so. I think there was a lot of expectation there that I struggled with, and leading into Tokyo, I think—I think if you, if you talk to a lot of athletes, everyone shows up to the Olympics physically at their best, and everyone’s physical best is pretty similar. The margin of error isn’t super huge, for most people.
Devin Heroux
M’hm (affirmative).
Skylar Park
And so, I think the biggest thing is, is that mental, dealing with the pressures, dealing with the expectations, dealing with all those things that come with being on the Olympic stage. And I think people can prepare you for it—and some people go into their first Olympics and, and have incredible results—but for me, I think having that experience of being out there, and knowing what all that feels like, was huge. And so, I feel like I didn’t really quite deal with those emotions and things, going into Tokyo, as well as maybe I should have. And so, I think as soon as I stepped onto the mats—especially being in an empty stadium that was silent, you could hear a pin drop—all those emotions just kind of, like, flooded me at once, while being on the mat fighting.
Devin Heroux
M’hm (affirmative).
Skylar Park
And knowing that the world was watching, and I was losing, and, and all those things, and it kind of spiraled, and didn’t end up having great results.
Devin Heroux
M’hm (affirmative).
Skylar Park
So, I think starting from that point, leading into the quad of—or I guess, the three years leading into Paris….
Devin Heroux
It happened fast.
Skylar Park
Yes, it was very quick. But that was the main focus for my team and I, just working on dealing with those mental pressures. And, and a huge thing I talked about earlier today, we were at a school; a huge thing was just going back to why I fell in love with the sport from the beginning…
Devin Heroux
Nice.
Skylar Park
…and just finding joy in what I was doing again. It came to a head last year, when I was competing in Paris at a Grand Prix, and I, I bombed, like, my fourth competition in a row, and I was like, I didn’t know if I was going to qualify, at that point.
Devin Heroux
M’hm (affirmative).
Skylar Park
And I, I told my parents—which was hard to do—but I was like, I’m like, “I, I don’t like this anymore”…
Devin Heroux
M’hm (affirmative).
Skylar Park
…which is a hard thing to admit, when you’ve been doing it for so long. And I think it was just cause I, I put so much pressure on myself every time I stepped onto the mat, that there was so much pressure eventually, that I just didn’t want to be there at all.
Devin Heroux
Wow.
Skylar Park
And so, I learned how to get past that, and I found a lot of joy in what I was doing again. And I love to fight, I loved to be on the mats and, and to perform for an audience. And I loved the sport from the beginning, because I did it with all my family—and I still have the privilege of doing that to this day. And so, after that, and after kind of realizing that, while I was in Paris, somehow it just happened…
Devin Heroux
Of all places.
Skylar Park
…happened to be, I was able to really come out from that and have a really successful second-half of my season, where I didn’t lose a match.
Devin Heroux
Wow.
Skylar Park
So, yeah. And I submitted my Paris qualification, and just kind of carrying that momentum into this year. But yeah, it’s something that I think as athletes, we continue to kind of have to work on and, and deal with. But I, I feel like I’m, I’m working on it well.
Devin Heroux
You’re, you’re seeing evidence of this today, but as someone who follows our athletes all over the world, I have always thought that our athletes are the greatest, some of the greatest ambassadors of our country. I’ll never know what it’s like to, to kick with the power Skylar does, but there is a relatability of what you just shared that I think reminds us all of our hopes and dreams, of what we’re trying to do in our life. So, thank you for that, Skylar. David, I’m thinking about since you’ve taken over, you have faced some challenges…
David Shoemaker
Yep.
Devin Heroux
…in your role. You haven’t gone to a Games where it hasn’t been geopolitical, or it hasn’t been a pandemic, or you’ve wondered if it’s even going to happen, or a year delay. What’s it been like for you, personally, to ride this out with the support of your partners, and the sport infrastructure in this country, to now come on the other side of this, where it really feels like we’re going into a French Renaissance—this is going to be a party, and a celebration this summer. But man, has it been a go for you, since…
David Shoemaker
Yeah.
Devin Heroux
…since taking over.
David Shoemaker
Yeah. It’s, it’s funny, when you reflect on it.
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
And I often look forward, rather than back. But when you reflect on it, there have been some things that we’ve had to overcome. So, Skylar, you know, Tokyo was my warm up games, too, I guess.
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
And they were beautiful in so many ways, when I think about the things that I got to go and do, and witness—in many cases, alone, or with Marnie McBean, our Chef de Mission. It was, you know, Marnie McBean, and me, and Marnie’s drum…
Skylar Park
Yeah.
David Shoemaker
…at empty stadiums all around Tokyo, you know, the, the stories, and the memories that Marnie and I will share. So, I look back fondly to the Tokyo Games, and the 24 medals, and the incredible performances. And yet, these Paris games are the games we’ve been waiting for, and building for, so that we’ll finally be able to welcome our incredible partners—we’ve seen, you know, four or five of them up on the screen—and, and thank them for their incredible support. They’ll be able to come to Paris, and experience it with us; our donors—and we have some amazing donors, who are helping keep this incredible Canadian Olympic dream alive. I, I don’t know that many people in this room would fully understand that we are an almost entirely privately-funded organization…
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
…of 50-ish million dollar P&L annually. And it all comes through the generosity of our marketing partners, and our donors. I think it’s often thought that we’re government-supported, and that it’s federal government run, but it’s not. So, we get to welcome these people with us, and your friends, and your families, and, and we’re going to have the largest Maison Olympique du Canada, our version of Canada Olympic House in Paris. It’s just going to be wonderful. From somebody in my role, it adds an incredible amount of complexity…
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
…and yet I relish that. I mean, and for me personally, it’s almost as though I started this job all over again this year. And so, it’s allowed me to think about this as a little bit of a rebirth, the chance to sort of do it all over again, but with a completely different lens on everything we’re doing. So, yeah, I, I think of it in a very positive way, Devin.
Devin Heroux
You have so many conversations with partners, the IOC, the Organizing Committee in Paris, the Canadian athletes. What’s your sense on where everybody is at, 64 days out?
David Shoemaker
Everyone wants to start…
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
…64 days out. I think there’s no question. This is sort of the season I was told this would occur. I remember somebody saying, “In Sochi, there was this, you know, the Black Widow,” and I was, like, “There were spiders in Sochi?” Say no, there was a, you know, cyber attack or something.
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
But there’s always something in the lead-up to the games that people latch onto and, and try to use as a reason to, to criticize, or…
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
…to suggest that there’s something that we shouldn’t cheer for. And yet, Sal said it so incredibly well, there are so few things that unite and bring people together in the spirit of peace, these days. The Olympic Games is a wonderful thing. And so, for me, looking forward to that is really the, the motivation for the whole team. Yeah.
Devin Heroux
Beautiful. Bruny, you mentioned it: four Olympics. I don’t know how well-known it is that your first Olympics in 1988, you were a long jumper. And then, eight years later, you were winning Olympic gold as a sprinter. It is remarkable to me that you are this athletic marvel. But I wonder, mentally, spiritually, energetically, the pivot, and the resilience, and everything that goes into that—into literally going from a long jumper to a sprinter, and being excellent—can you tell us a little bit about that? Because I think those experiences, and leadership notes, are going to be so crucial for our team, the pivot, and the resilience and all of that.
Bruny Surin
Yes, actually, my first Olympics, ’88 as a long jumper, I was injured, my ankle. So, every time I was on the, step on the board to jump, it was hurt, like, so incredibly. So, I finished 12th or 14th, long time ago—you can see my white beard—so, anyway, but when I was running, I didn’t feel the pain. And my coach and I, I just said to my coach, “Well, I think that the next season I want to focus on sprinting.” So, after that, to try to get in the competition in Europe, I went to live in Italy. Because I had, my dream was very high. And I remember all my friends were telling me, “Why are you doing this? You’re gonna go all the way in Italy by yourself, living in a house by yourself.” I was in Sienna, two hours north of, of Italy—and the only thing I was doing, like, the morning, I go up the hill, train on the sandy track, go back home, make my lunch, rest, in the afternoon, go to the stadium. And on the weekends, I was trying to get in competition. And a lot of athletes were laughing at me. I mean, a lot of promoters were shutting the door saying that I’m, I’m not strong enough; there’s some occasion I was just sleeping on the athlete’s room, because I wasn’t [indiscernible] everything. But I kept the dream here. I said, “I have to go through this.” And resilience is what? What’s the definition of resilience? So, you, you’re going through this, and you know, things going to get better; you have to keep working, keep working, keep working. And actually, to make a story short, it’s 15 years after that I had that dream, actually, to be faster than my idol—you know, my idol was at that time? Carl Lewis, who won four gold medals. And I saw him on TV, I said “Well, I want to be like him,” and everybody was laughing. So sometimes, the power of the Olympics, and everything. I mean, like you, Skylar, there’s a lot of young kids, like they’re going to look at you, they’re already looking at you, they say “Oh, in the future, I want to be like Skylar.” So, those kind of things, it’s like, it’s, it’s amazing. So, all the thing that I can share to the, to the athletes is like, when you have your dream, keep on, keep, keep it there. Whether you go through challenges, and everything, it’s tough, it’s not easy. But you have to keep the goal here, and, and do it.
Devin Heroux
And look at you now, by the way, we had Bruny into our CBC Sports Department the other day. We have a wall of champions, and we got him to sign the wall, and he put “9.84.” Put some respect on that Canadian record. [Applause].
Bruny Surin
Yeah.
QUESTION & ANSWER
Devin Heroux
All right, we’re winding down, but I’ve been told we’re getting some questions in here, so I’ll look at this. This one’s for David, right now, let me read this in real time—we’re doing this live, David, here we go—”Overseeing the upcoming generation of Olympians, how do you see the future funding model for young athletes evolving? More government support, more corporate partnership support, parents?” It’s a good question, David. What does that look like, as we financially support our athletes? Because of course we, we, know that that has been a topic of conversation.
David Shoemaker
Yeah, and a topic of frustration.
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
I think Canadian athletes are woefully underfunded…
Devin Heroux
M’hm (affirmative).
David Shoemaker
…even with a recent bump in what we call their “Carding money.” But the sports system—so as much as we are privately funded, the 61 national sports organizations that are the bedrock of sport in this country, that set the programs and the policies for sport in this country, they’re largely—and I say largely, because there’s maybe 10 of them that are, are able to have a viable commercial product—they’re largely funded by the federal government. And there hasn’t been an increase in nearly 20 years. So, the power of what they were given back in 2005 has been eroded by inflation by 50 percent. They’re being asked to do more, and more, and more, with less, and less. So, what do you do? We’ve, therefore, not expected to see that increase in the future, and are planning that we have to do a better job, with our marketing partners, and getting a bit more funding, we have to be more efficient with what we get—and this is the part that I’m especially optimistic about, is tapping into the generosity of Canadians, in a way that we haven’t yet quite figured out before. But we’re seeing it. We’re seeing our, our, our, the Canadian Olympic Foundation raise more money than we ever before, real generosity, and it’s making a difference. And we, you know, we see south of the border, where their foundation is four, five, six times the size of ours—we think we can get there. And that’s really what I think is going to have to be part of the impetus to us getting to a place where our athletes, and our sports are better funded.
Devin Heroux
Yeah, it’s a great answer. And Skyler, I want to go right to you on that, because I think you’re making a trip to one of your sponsors later today. How crucial is that, to be able to do what you do? I was inside your house; Tae-ku and Braven, your brothers, they’re training as well, mom Andrea is trying to keep everything going, Dad’s there. How crucial of a lifeline is that for, for your entire family to be able to be on this sporting journey?
Skylar Park
Yeah, I think it is for sure. I mean, I’ve been grateful to have wonderful sponsors who have supported me, and continued to support me throughout my journey as an athlete. But like you said, it’s, it’s me, it’s my two brothers. Our family has dedicated, essentially, my parents have dedicated their lives to help us to achieve our dreams. I don’t know if my dad would choose this lifestyle if it wasn’t for us, but they’ve sacrificed so much, because we have huge dreams, and huge goals, and, and they’re willing to support us to achieve them. And, and like you said, my parents also, my dad, my family runs a Taekwondo school in Winnipeg. And in order to help pay for what we want to do, they, they have to run a successful business, as well. And so, I was chatting earlier, when you were in Winnipeg and, and we were training, and someone came into the Academy—my dad had to leave training…
Devin Heroux
Yeah.
Skylar Park
…to go help them out, right? And you go, “What’s happening?” I said, “Well, we don’t have a business, we can’t compete, right?”
Devin Heroux
Right. Right.
Skylar Park
So, no, but so it’s very, very crucial as an athlete, for sure.
Devin Heroux
Nice.
David Shoemaker
Devin, can I just also say…
Devin Heroux
Sure.
David Shoemaker
… we’ve got to do a better job connecting the dots.
Devin Heroux
Yeah.
David Shoemaker
But this isn’t just about funding the dreams of, let’s say, 22 to 30, to 35 medals, and medallists, right? That this is about what they then do to inspire a nation of young people to get involved in sport, and what sport then teaches communities to do. And communities come together, they learn about communication, and leadership, and teamwork, and how to win, and how to lose. And those skills transfer to everything you do in your life, and Skyler spoke about that. So that, if we can do a better job at convincing Canadians that that’s what the Olympic Games are about, it’s not about just helping those couple dozen, three dozen dreams. But it’s about helping the dreams of the whole country…
Devin Heroux
Yeah.
David Shoemaker
…then I think we do, we, we are more successful.
Devin Heroux
Couldn’t agree more. Couldn’t agree more. And, and, and ahead of this conversation, we were talking about legacy—and of course, you look at the 2015 Pan Am Games. I just spent a week out at the Pan Am Sports Centre watching our Canadian swimmers, who are going to just light up the pool in Paris. That’s a direct legacy of the Pan Am Games in 2015. That’s where our national team is getting great to take on the world. Winding down, Bruny, you know all about the Ultimate Team, you were a part of it in Atlanta, in that, in that documentary I watched; there was some friction too, which I liked about that—watch it, if you’re on a flight—but tell me about this Canadian chemistry, this unparalleled and unrivalled, Canadian chemistry. That when we go out in the world, and we are on the biggest athletic stages, it is the teamwork of the Maple Leaf, and of the Red-and-White, that always seems to rise above.
Bruny Surin
Yeah, it’s a very important, important, the team spirit, the confidence, that—because like you said, Skylar, when you go to the Olympics, like, a lot of the athletes, they are in their, their, their prime, they are in their, their top shape. What you’ve been working on in practice over, and over, and over again, although you know the competition is there. And that’s what we, as a team, built. And, and ’95, ’94, ’95, ’96, at the Olympics, we were, the team we were like sync, just like this. We were like brothers. Although, we were not the favourite. When you look at the, the comparison with the USA team, who were the favourite—all the media were only talking about them…
Devin Heroux
Right.
Bruny Surin
…we were, like, absent. But also, what we create during practice, during training camps, and everything. And when I look at the, the eyes of my, my teammates, oh my God, we were ready. We were ready. The only thing was, that was on my mind, was we’re going to kick ass. [Applause] And we did.
David Shoemaker
Yeah.
Devin Heroux
You know, Bruny, when you were just saying, “over, and over, and over,” I was imagining a perfect baton pass…
Bruny Surin
Yes, yeah.
Devin Heroux
…every time that we’re doing that. You didn’t miss it. David, there’s a dance floor in front of us here; breaking is going to be part of the Olympic program.
David Shoemaker
Yeah.
Devin Heroux
Phil Wizard, one of the top ranked breakers, and Skyler, I know you and the family have gotten to know him well. But when we just talk about new sports being added to the Olympic program, and flares of, of local communities—I know LA has their own idea of what sports should be added—maybe take the audience a little bit through, as we wind down, how these new sports are added to Olympic programs, because it’s going to be riveting in Paris.
David Shoemaker
Well, yeah, it’s a little more art than science…
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
…and a lot depends on the host organizing committee, and what they’d like to see. They don’t have a lot of latitude, but with every Olympic Games, there’s a couple of sports which will likely come off the program, and the host organizer can then suggest a couple that will come on. And it has a lot to do with the, the, the local flair of the Games, what they want to be, the, the calling card of the games. So, in the case of Paris, in particular, sticking with some of the new sports that were added in Tokyo—surfing, and sport climbing, and skateboarding—and then adding breaking, which is incredible to watch—and yes, Phil Wizard is Phillip Kim, I’m sure, for the…
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
…is what it will say, “Phillip Kim, CAN,” will be next to his name at the Olympic Games—I think will electrify. But yeah, looking ahead, Los Angeles really trying to, much like 1984 did, transform the Olympic Games, has added a whole host of new sports that I think will try to serve the Olympic movement well going into the future; lacrosse and, and cricket, and squash, which will make its Olympic debut—somebody’ll say, “No, no, it was on the program in 1904, or something like, that”…
Devin Heroux
Right.
David Shoemaker
…but, but it, it’s—and that’s because Los Angeles really wants to sort of embrace some of these sports that are practiced all around the world and, and competed in, yeah.
Devin Heroux
Skyler, last word to you, draped in a beautiful outfit, a beautiful kit—I think you said this is a travel and the media kit..
Skylar Park
It is, yes.
Devin Heroux
…in Paris. But you once again get to represent your country. And thank goodness, your family chose Canada—we’ve talked about that—what’s it mean to you? And final word to our audience, as you get set to represent Canada once again, internationally.
Skylar Park
Yeah, it’s always such an honour. I mean, like, like Bruny had said, to put on the track suit, and to feel that you’re part of something so much bigger than yourself—I mean, representing Canada at international events anywhere is an honour, but especially at the pinnacle of, of sport, at the Olympic Games. I mean, even in Tokyo, when there were no fans in the stands, you could really feel the energy, and feel what it’s like to, to represent something bigger than yourself—and, and in my case, to fight for something bigger than yourself. And I think, like he said, having that team atmosphere, and the whole Team Canada, I mean, everyone I’ve met is incredible, and, and just having that team camaraderie. I think me, coming from Winnipeg, there’s not too many members of the Olympic team from Winnipeg—especially me, training in my gym, with my brothers, and my dad—sometimes it’s nice once you step outside that bubble, and to feel like you’re part of this huge team of athletes. The, the leader of the team, the Mr. Surin, and being beside Andre De Grasse, and Penny Oleksiak, and all these incredible Canadian Olympians, and to know that we’re all on the same team. I think, especially as a younger athlete, that gave me a lot of strength knowing that, okay, I’m not just some little girl from Winnipeg with her dad coaching her, you know?
Devin Heroux
Right. Right.
Skylar Park
So, no, it’s, it’s always definitely such an honour. And I think even after Tokyo, when it didn’t go the way that I’d hoped, and I was very, very disappointed with the result, and, and, for quite a while, I think to come back home to Canada, and just see that I still had so many people rooting for me, and supporting me. I think that was huge, as well, knowing that we support our athletes no matter what…
Devin Heroux
Yeah.
Skylar Park
…I think that meant the most, for sure.
Devin Heroux
Special. Well, we have your back. We can’t wait to celebrate you, and cheer you on, in Paris. My bosses would be mad, if I didn’t say that there will be 22 hours every day, of live coverage on CBC Sports, on every platform. I’m going to be on the pool deck for the first week, and at track-and-field for the second week. I can’t wait to talk to our athletes, it’s an unparalleled time—across the board, depth and talent like we’ve never seen. It will be a French Renaissance, and our Canadian athletes are ready. What a powerhouse team here today.
Sal Rabbani
Thank you. Thank you, Devin, thank you, Skyler, thank you, David, thank you, Bruny. And thanks again to all our sponsors for their support, and everyone joining us today, in person or online.
I’m going to deviate just a little bit. It is Asian Heritage Month, and it’s an opportunity for all of us to learn about the diverse culture, and history of Asian communities in Canada, as well as to acknowledge the many contributions. And in that spirit, for those of you that know me, I do have a soft spot for entrepreneurs, and I had occasion to meet the folks behind Wondermak, Jungun, who’s in the room today, and they’re purveyors of fine Korean rice wine. And so, we do have someone that has won one of these products, and so, I encourage you to meet with our team in the back, there, and that’s [indiscernible] and Visanthan. So, congratulations, but more importantly, I wanted to take the time to, in the spirit of Asian Heritage Month, and as well as the entrepreneurship in, in these folks here, acknowledge Jungun from Wondermak. Thank you. I would now like to invite Bob Varella Jr., who’s the National Program Director of Unity Charity, and Mahad Shoaib, the development director of Unity Charity, to present a showcase celebrating the debut of the sport of breaking. We just heard about breaking at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Mahad Shoaib, Development Director, Unity Charity
Check, check. All right. Thank you so much. We want to first give a big shout out to the Empire Club of Canada for having us today—can we get a big round of applause for Empire Club? [Applause] And a huge shout out to Arcadian Court for this amazing service, and lunch. Thank you so much for having us, we are so excited to be here. My name is Mahad Shoaib, I’m the Development Director of Unity Charity. We are a national nonprofit organization that uses hip hop to build resilience among youth. Now, hearing the fantastic panellists talk about resilience made me think about how we’re all kind of in this thing together. And so, our story begins in 2007. There is a fantastic break dancer, B-Boy, his name is Michael Osterman, he wanted to give back what the dance community gave to him, which was a sense of belonging, skills, and community. Now, 17 years later, we have carried on that legacy, we have served more than 500,000 youth across the country to date. [Applause] Everything we do is completely free. We have performances, we have workshops, we have events, training initiatives, career development, mentorship—you name it, we got it. Now, looking ahead, we are hosting a huge celebration on July 20th, at Harbourfront Centre. It’s part of our annual event called the Unity Festival. This is where every single hip hop art form comes together under one roof. So, you have breaking, you have rap, you have beatboxing, you have graffiti, everything all happening in the same place at the same time. If you’re interested, please mark it down in your calendars, July 20th, Harbourfront Centre, 1to 9 P.M., free event, all ages, everyone is welcome, and we are so, so excited to talk to you a little bit more about why we are here today. Bob, why are we here today?
Bob Varuela Jr, National Program Director, Unity Charity
Why are we here today? My name is Bob, National Program Director, Unity Charity. We are actually going to do a breaking demonstration, to celebrate breaking in the Olympics.
Mahad Shoaib
Who’s seen breaking before here? Has anyone seen breaking in person? Ooh, okay—a couple of hands went up.
Bob Varuela Jr.
All right, okay.
Mahad Shoaib
All right. Okay, okay.
Bob Varuela Jr.
So, what I’m going to do first is, we’re going to get everybody to stand up and come towards the dance floor. We need this hip hop vibe. You know what I’m saying?
Mahad Shoaib
Come on down to the dance floor. Come on in. Don’t be shy. We won’t bite.
Bob Varuela Jr.
So, I’m also from Winnipeg—shout out to Winnipeg. I’ve been dancing for about 30 years as a B-boy, and hip hop has come a long way. So, for it to be part of the Olympics, it really means a lot to our community. It really shows that the young people that come from these different parts of the, of the world, that there’s another avenue, and a pathway through dance, through a culture that you enjoy. And we want to, we want to bring awareness, and also show the beauty of our dance, so we’re really excited to have it at the Olympics. And…
Mahad Shoaib
Can we give it up one more time for hip hop culture in the building, please? [Applause]
Bob Varuela Jr.
It’s such a special moment. So, today we’re going to do a bit of a demonstration. We’ve got some young people that have attended our programming in the past, which have now become some of the best dancers in Canada, and the world. So, without further ado, we got Bryce, Montu, and JC Fresh. The “Unknown Floor Force.”
Mahad Shoaib
Please put your hands together.
[LIVE B-BOY DEMONSTRATION BY “UNKNOWN FLOOR FORCE”]
Bob Varuela Jr.
Give it up for Unknown Floor Force. [Applause] We are Unity Charity. Big shout out to Empire Club for having us.
Mahad Shoaib
Thank you so much for having us.
Bob Varuela Jr.
Good luck to all the Canadian athletes in the Olympic Committee. We outta here. Peace.
Mahad Shoaib
Yeah. If you want to learn more, check us out at unitycharity.com, or talk to one of us. We’re around for a little while. Thank you again for having us. Big shout out to Empire Club. Pass it back to Sal.
Bob Varuela Jr.
Back to you.
Concluding Remarks by Sal Rabbani
What a great performance. Thank you all for your participation. This meeting is now adjourned.
