It’s Remembrance day in Canada today, so let’s all take a moment to remember those who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms we have come to expect today.
A few Thursday’s ago I had the fortunate opportunity to attend a KPMG Woman’s Interchange Network Event at Toronto’s MaRS Centre on College and University. This particular event was focused on celebrating our inner champions with our very own she-ro, Winter AND Summer Olympian, Clara Hughes!
Even the title was inspirational: The Heart of a Champion.
I met up with a KPMG colleague and Barb (Profiteroles and Ponytails, Barb and I also met at KPMG many moons ago). The evening began around 6pm in the main lobby of the MaRS centre with tasty cocktails and delicious hors d’œuvres (you knew I would have to wind food into this post somehow!). We reconnected with old colleagues and friends and we met new interesting ladies. Of course, the star of the show was our very own she-ro Clara Hughes.
To say Clara Hughes was inspirational would be an understatement.
Clara spoke so comfortably and so eloquently that I forgot I was amidst 200+ women in an auditorium; her stories were poignant and deliberate, telling of the path her life took leading her to be a six-time Olympic Medalist in both Summer AND Winter Olympics. Being an olympian is no easy feat and Clara had to overcome depression throughout her athletic career; her stories told how she overcame depression and feels it necessary to acknowledge that life isn’t always filled with sunshine, that there are gloomy days too, and that the gloomy days shape us in ways we need to understand. Clara is a firm believer in giving back and is actively involved in Canada’s Right to Play , she is also spokesperson for Bell’s Let’s Talk program, an organization that provides an “extensive array of initiatives to support anti-stigma [of mental illness], increased access to care, additional research and the creation of an overall culture of mental health” (from their website). Clara is riding across Canada, raising money and awareness for Let’s Talk, with several stops to a variety of schools and auditoriums along the way. She was so excited talking about this project because it wasn’t just about riding her bike and raising funds, it was about the interactive programs along the way that would give this event legs!
She made me want to run a marathon.
Clara was so generous that she brought her Olympic medals (she had a few) and allowed us to wear them for the photo!
This was a traditional Canadian treat with a twist, can you guess what it is?
Kitcheninspirations 