Three views on Calgary’s potential bid
Consider how the Games inspire, says Thomas Hall.
This summer marks a decade since the 2008 Beijing Olympics took place, long enough ago that I’m able to reflect on the experience with some objectivity but still hanging on to some of the emotions from competing against the best in the world.
Ten years later, I’m asking myself some questions. Was it worth it? (It was.) What would I change (Nothing substantial.) What was the best part? (Training camps with my teammates and friends.)
There’s another question that keeps popping up with no easy answer: How did I get there? There are so many variables, but I keep coming back to three big things anyone needs to succeed at a big goal: inspiration, support and infrastructure.
For me, these three things wouldn’t have been possible without Canada’s hosting the Olympics. Calgarians find themselves debating if bringing the Olympics back to the city for the 2026 Winter Games makes sense; I keep thinking about the potential. Fiscal responsibility absolutely needs to be part of the conversation, but there’s much more to hosting an Olympics.
I grew up in Montreal and trained for most of my competitive career on the Olympic Basin and using other facilities built for the 1976 Summer Games. The basin was my home. I spent thousands of hours paddling up and down that two-kilometre stretch, dodging other paddlers, rowers, dragon boats and swimmers. Every time I paddled past the finish line, I saw the graceful swoop of the Olympic Stadium; it was a reminder that I was training where the best athletes in the world had competed, and I hoped to be in that most elite group one day.
Long before that, in elementary school, on my way to phys-ed class I would pause by a faded photo of my sister’s best friend running through our Montreal suburb with the 1988 Olympic flame during the Calgary torch relay. I didn’t really understand what I was looking at, but I was inspired. I wanted to be a part of that, I thought.
In 2006, my sport received funding from a pre-legacy investment designed to give the Canadian sport system a boost in advance of Vancouver 2010. That support allowed my coach and me to work together much more closely in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Games. We surprised everyone — including ourselves — by winning a bronze medal in the C1 1000 metres.
The Olympics are supposed to inspire people to become active, like they did for me, and for those active people to inspire others. By rough count, my bronze medal from the Beijing Olympics has been held by some 1,000 young people, and I’ve spoken to at least twice that many boys and girls about my Olympic experiences.
But hosting a major games, whether it’s the Olympics, Pan Ams or even a Canada Games, has to go beyond the get-kids-active story.
Today, I work for the Canadian Olympic Committee running Game Plan, a program which was born from the legacy of the 2010 Olympics to improve athletes’ performance by helping them prepare for life after sport. Our team of Game Plan advisers is spread across Canada, and many of them work in legacy venues from the 1976, 1988 and 2010 Games. Our advisers in other cities work from buildings that were created from the Canada Games or Pan Am Games.
By the time the 2026 Winter Games roll around, many members of Team Canada will be just old enough to remember watching Vancouver 2010. They will have been inspired by the Games, trained at legacy venues, and received support from legacy programs such as Game Plan.
As Calgarians contemplate bringing the Winter Olympics back in 2026, it’s worth remembering that measuring the legacy of an Olympics isn’t just about dollars and cents. Beyond the bottom line, a Games, and the inspiration, infrastructure, and increased support they bring, is essential to sport, physical activity and health in Canada.
Beyond the bottom line, a Games, and the inspiration, infrastructure, and increased support they bring, is essential to sport, physical activity and health in Canada.
Thomas Hall