Fuelling athletes to succeed
Dedicating one’s life to the pursuit of an athletic career often means bank statements with many zeros, and not those associated with sixdigit-figure salaries.
The costs associated with Olympic-calibre athletic training are nothing to scoff at, and while scholarships and government support does cover some of them, many athletes end up having to take time out of training to work jobs that ensure their bills get paid.
But a few local business owners are doing their parts to alleviate some of the financial burdens local athletes are facing so they can train.
A former athlete himself, Jason Zaran, recognized the unique position he had to help amateur athletes achieve their dreams very soon after opening the first Main Dish location in Bridgeland in the early 2000s. The restaurant’s unique concept of healthy, convenient eating really meets the need for athletes, so in 2006, Zaran offered sponsorship to skeleton athlete Mellisa Hollingsworth, who went on to win the bronze medal that year.
“Our main goal is to provide fresh, healthy, convenient meals to go,” he says. “Athletes have busy training schedules, but need to eat well at the same time. We make it easy for them to come in and load up with a few days worth of meals.”
Five Main Dish-sponsored athletes, Hollingsworth included, will be heading to the Olympics in Sochi extremely well fed, something Canada 2 bobsled team driver Chris Spring says could make all the difference.
“Being a Main Dish athlete makes my life so much easier,” he says. “As a bobsledder, I need to feast all the time and to have the Main Dish ready and available everyday with nutritious and tasty food gives me the ability to perform at a level I need to win Olympic medals.”
While Airdrie Dodge Jeep doesn’t serve up nutrientdense fare to athletes, curler Cheryl Bernard and bobsledder Lyndon Rush, it does provide them with financial and, perhaps even more notably, moral support. “The more time our Olympians can spend training and practising, the better prepared they are to perform at their peaks and represent Canada proudly,” says dealer principal Brad Styner.
“Cheryl and Lyndon are both humble, hard-working people who are giving everything they have to make their country proud.”
Adds Bernard: “Besides easing up some of the financial stress, the sponsorship has allowed us to train harder, compete more and access better coaching and equipment. But most importantly, they have become our extended family. It’s been amazing to have the support of the entire Airdrie Dodge team cheering us on, each and every day, in the pursuit of our Olympic dream.”