Le May Doan brings lessons in leadership
FORMER OLYMPIC SPEEDSKATING STAR WILL BE A FEATURED SPEAKER FOR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
The 2018 Winter Olympics are less than two weeks away. For Lethbridge sports fans, we have representation with Rob Klinkhammer on the men’s hockey team.
But soon after the Games wrap, those in the city will also have the chance to hear some inside and inspiring stories from someone close to the athletes and the action.
Catriona Le May Doan, herself a two-time Olympic speedskating champion, will be one of the featured speakers at the Greatness in Leadership Management Development Day, set for March 22 at the Enmax Centre.
“I will focus on leadership and how it evolves,” said Le May Doan in an email interview with The Herald on the weekend.
“It is not just the pursuit of one goal and that creates leadership. Leadership is a journey. Sometimes we are taking an obvious role to lead others and help them, and sometimes we lead by example through struggles and successes. I will also touch on taking a leadership role which sometimes takes courage and takes you out of your element. I am very much looking forward to sharing my stories, and hopefully inspiring others.”
At the 2018 Games in South Korea, Le May Doan will be the lead mentor and liaison with all the Canadian athletes in the Olympic village.
“I am most looking forward to being a part of the team,” she said. “I have not been in the village since I competed, but being a part of the mission team, I am a part of the team, but with a lot less stress than before.”
Le May Doan won gold in the 500 metres at both the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Since retiring from competitive skating in 2003, she has been an Olympic commentator, a popular motivational speaker, was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, and was inducted in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame.
She said the new role will bring her back full circle.
“Yes, it brings me back to all four Games that I competed in. However, this role didn’t exist back then, so I am excited to be a support to the athletes if needed,” Le May Doan said.
“I had talked to the COC about the role of chef de mission, but I had never been a part of the mission team before. Isabelle Charest, the current chef, has been assistant chef, and they advised me to get some experience first, which made sense. I am very excited to work alongside Isabelle.”
Due to the proximity and legacy from 1988, Lethbridge could benefit from Calgary hosting the Olympics again. Le May Doan weighed in with her thoughts on the potential bid.
“I think it would be great for Calgary to host again. No other city is in the same situation where so many facilities already exist. It would be a boost (leading up for seven years, and beyond) to the economy,” she said.
“What people don’t realize is that if Calgary does not host in the next 15 years, the facilities that we are so used to — Canmore Nordic, Olympic Oval, and Winsport, are partially funded by legacy monies from the ’88 Games. That funding is going to run out, and is expected to. Without a new Games and more funding, those facilities will close and our sporting landscape in this city, province, and country would drastically change. That would also change our economy as training centres would perhaps go to Quebec City or to the U.S.”
Greatness in Leadership 2018, hosted by Teamworks Training Institute, Select People Solutions and the Enmax Centre, will have a theme of “discovery” and also have featured speaker Captain Robert Ballard, who discovered the RMS Titanic wreck.
Tickets for the 2018 Greatness in Leadership go on sale Wednesday.
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