Heroes in Our Midst

“A 30-year reunion… do your ex-teammates want to come sit at a table with you because you scored a bunch of goals or was it because you were a good person and a good teammate? That’s always kind of stuck with me.”

That’s just one of the things recently retired NHL hockey

 But Mark doesn’t only have a hockey story… he’s been on a mental health journey of his own as well. When he played he was a fighter. A tough guy. But on the inside there were some dark times. He talks about that,

Take a listen and hear the story for yourself!

“I think the biggest thing is just finding the motivation within yourself. If this is something you want to do and if this is your passion, I think you’ll have no problem having that motivation to succeed.”

Well, 19-year-old hockey player Danny Zhilkin is certainly motivated, and he has been since he was a 9-year-old boy in Russia, when his entire family moved to Canada so that he could pursue his dream of not only making it into the NHL but winning the Stanley Cup. He’s not there yet but with his focus and confidence, truly the sky’s the limit. 

Never mind he’s already started “Zhilkin’s Vision”, a foundation committed to creating safe spaces for athletes to speak out and find resources to help with their mental health journeys too. 

He is currently playing for the Manitoba Moose in the Winnipeg Jets organization and if you ask him what he needs to do to make it all the way, he’ll tell you this: “Just stay focussed. I know what my goals are and what I need to work on. Putting in the work every single day. Dreaming beyond your beliefs. Dreaming of that Stanley Cup every single day. Keep being motivated and passionate about what I do. Just – keep -- going.”

Listen to Danny’s story and you’ll be cheering him on to do just that. 

Enjoy! 

“It’s not just about, ‘How can I get a million people to buy

“Heroes in our Midst” host Michelle Sawatzky-Koop said that

In this episode, Michelle and Adrienne look back at their

“It’s more about getting to know yourself deeply and

Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood

Take a listen and be inspired to listen even more!

“Hard work pays off and we all fall down at some point, the

Those are the words Sara Orlesky ended our conversation

Sara is now the Senior Host and Producer of the Jets content

“Winning Amazing Race Canada has made my platform much bigger and I’m able to reach out more to people and be a bigger advocate for brain cancer and every kind of cancer and people with disabilities and people who don’t think they can do something – I’ve proven them WRONG!”

She most certainly has.

Catherine has danced with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, she’s performed on Broadway and yes, won “Amazing Race Canada” all while living with a cancer diagnosis that will, as she will tell you, end her life. But she has NO plans on stopping anytime soon. She is a best friend, a wife, a mother of 2, a champion and an inspiration and advocate for so many!

So, really… who is this incredible human? Listen to find out.

“The harder I work, the luckier I get.”

Dayna Spiring might attribute that quote to her husband, but she certainly lives it.

Every single day she wakes up with purpose and the realization that to be your very best, you can’t escape the work.  Dayna is currently the President and CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg which includes YES! Winnipeg and Tourism Winnipeg. As the former chief strategy officer and general counsel of the Canadian Wheat Board she did incredible things… she’s a lawyer, a passionate Winnipegger, a tireless volunteer, a Queens’ Platinum Jubilee medal recipient, the first woman to ever have her name engraved on the Grey Cup and so much more!

So, who is she and what’s the story behind all she’s done? You’ll know when you listen to this episode of “Heroes in our Midst” brought to you by Elite Sports Injury in Winnipeg.

Take a listen and be inspired.

“That was my goal since daycare that I was going to play in the Olympics.”

Who sets goals like that in daycare? Venla Hovi, that’s who.

Venla is one of the best female hockey players to ever come out of Finland – she is a 2-time Olympic medalist, a multiple World championship medal winner, a Canadian University National Champion with the Manitoba Bisons, and now, is coaching female professional hockey in the United States. She has an incredible story of big dreams, hard work, and great personal loss but through it all a clear vision of where she wanted to be and what it would take to get there.

Venla always believed in training and hard work. She knew that having the drive to do both would push her onto great things. She was right! But that’s just me trying to tell you what she’s already said – so, if you really want to learn from Venla about reaching excellence, listen to her story and you’ll hear it all.

“My plan to go to Germany was to get a PHD in sport science, to get the highest coaching license in the world and I wanted to play pro soccer in Germany. Those were my three goals and many people told me I was crazy.” – Dr. Vanessa Martinez Lagunas

Some pretty big dreams and she realized them all. Every Single One!

In this episode, you will get to know Dr. Vanessa Martinez Lagunas. Vanessa has been the head coach of the University of Manitoba Bison women’s soccer program since 2013. She holds a PhD in sports science and her playing résumé includes representing her native Mexico from 1999 to 2004 and playing with the Bundesliga Giants Bayern in Munich in the 2007-08 season.

From a young age – she was intrigued with coaching and early on KNEW that that’s what she wanted to be. She combined her pursuit of her coaching levels with her studies, her sport, her passion, her grit, and her belief that anything is possible and today she will tell you how she did it.

Enjoy!

“NOW, go do something with it!”

If there’s anyone who believes that everyone has huge potential and it just takes hard work to realize your dreams, it’s Adam Bighill. He grew up in the States where “Friday Night Lights” was actually a “thing” and he went on to play on the biggest stage in his world of football. He’s been named the CFL’s Most Outstanding defensive player three times, won multiple Grey Cup championships and is proud to call himself a Winnipeg Blue Bomber… still.

No question, hard work is his mantra, but he doesn’t just say it – he backs it up in a big way and his performance on the field proves that every single day. He’d love nothing more than to have us ALL live that way – so, listen and be inspired. According to “Biggie” – anything’s possible.

Thanks SO much to Elite Sports Injury for getting this episode to so many!! Elite Sports Injury, with 5 locations in Winnipeg they are here when we need physiotherapy or massage therapy. Your body's worth it. Make the time for yourself.

“I think this idea, the open hand, sharing what you’ve been given openly… that’s very important to me.” – Dr. Neil Craton

Well, good thing we asked him to join us to share his story! Dr. Neil Craton doesn’t only have his own life’s story to tell. He has countless experiences and examples of what he’s learned along the way from hearing other people’s stories. He is one of the longest standing sports medicine doctors in Manitoba.  He has worked with the Bombers and the Jets for years, multiple Olympic and Paralympic athletes, he’s an author, he volunteers at a homeless shelter and he is grounded in a faith that drives him forward in his service to others.

Just one of these things might make him a hero. Combine them all and it leaves no doubt, Neil Craton is most certainly a “Hero in Our Midst”.

Listen and be inspired!