Heroes in Our Midst

“We are Canada and we better win,”

If you think there isn’t pressure on our Canadian curlers to perform, think again. We are good at that game and someone like Reid Carruthers knows that as well as anyone. In today’s episode, we’re going to get to know Reid and I can hardly wait to share his story with you. Reid is a world champion, is pursuing his dream of representing Canada at the Olympics AND his passion for passing the love of the game of curling on to as many young curlers as he can translates into the running of an unbelievable junior curling camp every summer!

The conversation I had with Reid took place back in January 2021 and after naming his good friend Mike McEwan as the skip of the team HE created, they are poised to take on the rest of the “best in the country” at the Olympic trials in November - an event they just recently qualified for!

Reid’s is a story of determination and dedication to his sport, an unrelenting passion to be the very best he can be and to do whatever it takes to make it so… listen and enjoy.

Today we are getting to know mental performance coach Craig Brown. Craig seems to be one of those guys who never wants to stop learning so that he can keep figuring out how to help others be better. He grew up in Jamaica, loves all sports, and has an even greater passion for the athletes who play them. He completed a Masters in Kinesiology and Recreation Management at the University of Manitoba, with a focus in Sport Psychology and to add to what he’s learned in the classroom, he has volunteered as a student sport psychology consultant with the Bison Women’s soccer team and with Valour FC.

Craig has a deep desire to give voice to the experiences of newcomer athletes and to make a difference in the lives of others. Listen as he shares his personal experience with moving to a brand-new country and finding his place in a field he gave up everything else to pursue.

When I think about the story we’re going to hear today, “love of the game” stands out for me. Paul Dyck grew up in Steinbach, Manitoba and started playing hockey when he was 9 and he begged his parents to sign him up and obviously, it was a good idea! Paul went beyond the borders of his small town to pursue the highest level in his sport that he could and has now, found his way back home and gives back every day to a community that he would tell you has given him so much!

He was drafted back in the 1991 NHL Entry Draft, spent a decade in the International Hockey League and it seems that everywhere he went a championship would follow and that’s both as a player and as a coach. He’s travelled the world to play and ultimately found his way home to give back, coach and lead.

How did he help turn an entire junior hockey program around? How does his story affect how he coaches now? What does he tell his players after all he has experienced? And what happens when you take every single opportunity you’ve been given and pour your whole self into them? You find success and joy in all that you do. Paul Dyck loves hockey and has a passion for passing that on to the young men that he spends every day with… and you will not only hear that, you’ll FEEL that when you listen.

“You own the key to the kingdom”.

That’s what Glenn Bruce tells his athletes all the time. It’s theirs to use and ProPrep Academy provides the team they need to reach excellence. Glenn is part of that team and he’s worked with the best of the best. We’re talking NFL, NHL, CFL, MLS, U-Sport and a whole lot more. Welcome to Episode #5 in our ProPrep series. Today we are in for a treat. Glenn Bruce is known as the “speed guru” and he has given so many athletes the opportunity to compete at the highest levels.

So, how did he become who he is today? How does he do what he does? How did he become SO good at not just being fast, but teaching others to be fast as well? Listen… and learn.

Well, here we go again, another great story to tell. Today’s episode is a really special one for me as I get to share the story of someone I work with every day in the Morning radio business. Someone who grew up in the same small town as I did… graduated from the same high school, the same year and lives here still… Steinbach, Manitoba. Now, for more than 20 years, Corny has performed as Elvis across Canada, the United States and Mexico. He’s competed as Elvis too and was named the Elvis Gospel champion at the 2015 Collingwood Elvis Festival in Ontario,  came in 1st place as Grand Champion of the 2017 Penticton Elvis Festival in BC, and then, competed with the top 20 Elvis tribute artists in the world at the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition at none other than Graceland in Memphis!!

Corny is talented, he’s accomplished many things, he’s funny and he truly cares for the people around him.

So, life’s pretty good for Corny Rempel isn’t it? Everyone loves him… but… it wasn’t always like that for Corny Rempel. In fact, for a long time, Corny didn’t even like himself.

Listen to his journey to self-acceptance and true joy in what he does – finding the heroes in HIS community.

Today’s episode, takes us back to the front lines. Gord MacInnes has worked for the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service since 2006 and he’s a Senior Firefighter with the Winnipeg Fire Department. He’s seen things and arrived on scenes that most of us can’t even imagine. He also, like all fire fighters, runs INTO the burning buildings when the rest of us run away.

Away from the fire hall, Gord is married, has 4 children and 2 dogs. On top of all of that, he’s also a strength and conditioning coach on the side as well as a rugby development officer with Rugby Manitoba. Now, sports did play a role in his life, quite a large one actually as he played football at the University of Manitoba in the past and has also travelled the world playing rugby… so, the sports he played and the profession he chose are pretty challenging.

So challenging in fact, that Gord wants to share his story of struggle. He wants to share what it’s really like to put yourself on the line every day for the well-being and safety of others and how, sometimes, it just gets to be too much. And what do you do then? How did Gord find his way back from PTSD, to the work that he loves? How does he carry on and keep himself mentally well?

It’s all in his story.

“For us, not being prepared or not being ready for that moment could mean someone gets hurt or even dies.”

Jeff Schirr said that. Constable Jeff Schirr. A member of the RCMP Emergency Response Team here in Manitoba and truly a hero. With every call that he answers, he puts his life on the line for us all. When situations are at their worst, Jeff and his team step in and do their best to resolve it.

Jeff started out as one of the youngest members in his RCMP troop and after years of preparation and a demanding selection process, his dream came true and he is now a full time part of the Emergency Response Team and he considers what he does an opportunity.

Jeff shares what the training was like, what his “day to day” looks like and HOW he continues to work at such a high level of stress for the good of others.

Once you hear Jeff’s story and his outlook on life, I have no doubt you will leave with optimism, encouragement and motivation to choose happiness and make life what you want it to be no matter what path you are on. Thank you, Jeff, for being a real-life hero and for joining us in this episode.

Today’s guest is one of our Canadian National Softball team’s pitchers, Morgan Rackel. No question, Morgan is an Olympic level athlete but as you will hear from Morgan herself, she is NOT an Olympian. Out of 15 players named to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic team roster, she was #16. Now, being named as the first alternate, Morgan even travelled to Japan with her team, until the day the team took their bus to the Athlete’s Village and her bus took her to the airport to come home. Not how the dream was supposed to end.

So, how does she move forward from here? If you listen, you’ll find out how she’s still working on doing that and we can ALL learn from the honest story she tells. Strong, resilient and a “hero in our midst” and excited to tell it like it is. Enjoy.

When you first meet Matt Johnston, today’s guest of course, I think you’ll be taken by his easy going nature, the humility surrounding everything he’s done and has yet to do and his laugh. The way he talks about his golf, you’d think he wasn’t really that good, but he was! And his travels and journey through his sport and all of the challenges and successes that went along with that, have shaped who he is today and the wellness component he is exploring as we speak. There is a comfort level that you will feel invited to. I did.

So, presently, Matt works in the family business, Johnston Group. They provide insurance coverage to small businesses. He is working on a wellness startup within the company and truly works to keep people well. We’re going to learn about Matt’s athletic background and follow his sport story which, of course, leads far beyond sport. He is one of the most humble people I have come to know and he never ever wants to stop learning. In our chat, he mentions one of his favorite lines, “There is no THERE.”  So, I hope you can take a listen and a lesson from Matt Johnston, no question one of the “heroes in our midst”. Enjoy.

It is a distinct pleasure to introduce you to today’s guest. Kathryn Dzikowicz is a small business owner in the fitness industry right here in Manitoba and she has quite a story to tell. Kathryn has been involved in the fitness industry for the past 30 years. Kathryn began her career in Workplace Health and Wellness with Canadian National Railway, she has served on the Board of Directors for the Manitoba Runner’s Association, she’s a founding member of the Winnipeg Workplace Wellness Alliance and she currently donates to the Joy Smith Foundation annually through an International Women’s Day event. She has competed in the Manitoba Bodybuilding Championships in the past, completed 3 full marathons, managed the Urban Wellness Centre in Cityplace for years and was awarded Fitness Leader of the Year with the Manitoba Fitness Council as well. In January of 2017, Kathryn’s dream of opening her own fitness studio became a reality. Blue Sky Fitness and Health Coaching Studio opened it’s doors in January of 2017. Of course, in March of 2020 everything changed and during Covid, she has worked SO hard to continually adapt and adjust by moving online and continuing to create community.

I visited with Kathryn over Zoom in March of 2021, and when you listen – you’ll hear that her life’s journey goes far beyond sport. Kathryn Dzikowicz, is more than a physical trainer to her clients, she is a friend, a colleague, and someone who truly cares about the wellness of all those around her. That truly makes her a “hero in our midst”. What a story of perseverance, strength and putting the care of others first – in every area of her life. We hope you enjoy her story.