My Story
I grew up in Thornbury, Ontario a small town where everybody knew everybody, and if you stepped out of line anywhere, your Mum found out about it before you got home. I loved it, spent my whole childhood there, free to bike, run, and play wherever I wanted. My love for family, the outdoors and anything athletic developed here. My Dad used to run ski resorts so from Thornbury, we moved to Smithers, BC, way up north but too remote for my Mum. Within a year we moved to Invermere where I played my high school basketball. I went to Provincials in Grade 12 for soccer, volleyball and basketball and played on a regional softball team. I am a huge believer that being a multi-sport athlete is beneficial in so many ways. Basketball was always it for me, but the skills in all the other sports helped me to excel in the one that I was most passionate about.
I never made a Basketball BC Provincial team or even regional team for that matter, but I did try out, and it was there that coaches saw me and I was offered an athletic scholarship to Simon Fraser University. I played 4 years for Allison McNeill, Head Coach of the Women's National team from 2004-2013, and 1 year for Bruce Langford who is still coaching the team that competes now in the NCAA. I received my Bachelor of Arts and my teaching degree while playing the sport I loved. We went undefeated in my last year and won a National Championship.
My story involves so many people that helped me along my journey. People that, without even knowing it, provided me with the strength and courage to pursue my dreams. What drives me is just that, giving back, opening doors and providing support for student-athletes to succeed and reach their goals. My philosophy is simple: hard work pays off and you can only be accountable to yourself. I teach for life skills, not to pass a course or get a good grade. I want students to learn to take responsibility, have ownership of their education and their future, and be passionate and optimistic about life. Talk to your neighbours, say hi on the bus, apply for that job, make your own decisions and pick yourself up when things don't work out. I wish for my students that they find what makes them happy everyday, and do it for the rest of their lives.
"Take pride in how far you have come:
Have faith in how far you can go."
I never made a Basketball BC Provincial team or even regional team for that matter, but I did try out, and it was there that coaches saw me and I was offered an athletic scholarship to Simon Fraser University. I played 4 years for Allison McNeill, Head Coach of the Women's National team from 2004-2013, and 1 year for Bruce Langford who is still coaching the team that competes now in the NCAA. I received my Bachelor of Arts and my teaching degree while playing the sport I loved. We went undefeated in my last year and won a National Championship.
My story involves so many people that helped me along my journey. People that, without even knowing it, provided me with the strength and courage to pursue my dreams. What drives me is just that, giving back, opening doors and providing support for student-athletes to succeed and reach their goals. My philosophy is simple: hard work pays off and you can only be accountable to yourself. I teach for life skills, not to pass a course or get a good grade. I want students to learn to take responsibility, have ownership of their education and their future, and be passionate and optimistic about life. Talk to your neighbours, say hi on the bus, apply for that job, make your own decisions and pick yourself up when things don't work out. I wish for my students that they find what makes them happy everyday, and do it for the rest of their lives.
"Take pride in how far you have come:
Have faith in how far you can go."