In this episode, Ainsley sits down with Neil Langevin and JJ Ondrus, founding members and long-time coaches of the Pronghorns Women’s Rugby team. As the program marks its 25th anniversary, they reflect on how it all began, the early challenges of building a team from scratch, and the unwavering community support that helped it thrive. They share stories of national championship runs, the impact of strong team culture, and how the program has continued to grow over the decades.Please join us in listening to an insightful and motivational conversation with two of Lethbridge’s most influential coaches!

Welcome back to a special bonus episode of YQL Stories, hosted by yours truly, Alex Engel. We at the Lethbridge Sport Council were fortunate enough to get invited to the Lethbridge Judo Club where I got to sit down with Olympians Christa and Kelly Deguchi during their tour across Canada! 

The Deguchi sisters blazed a path to the Olympics that was very unique and inspiring. With their Mother from Japanese descent, and their Father from Canada, Christa and Kelly were faced with a choice of what country they wanted to represent in their sport of Judo. From Christa’s rise to the top of the Judo world, winning gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Kelly following her sister's footsteps while also wanting to lead her own path, this is an interview you will not want to miss! 

Please join me in listening to some of the most respectful individuals I have ever met, Canadian Olympians, Christa and Kelly Deguchi!

We encourage our listeners to share, like, and subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel as we have more Lethbridge Olympians on the horizon!

Donations: https://my.charitableimpact.com/groups/lethbridge-sport-council 

Our Programs: https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/programs 
Sport Volunteer Hub: https://sportvolunteerhub.ca/

In our season 2 final episode of YQL stories we are very excited to present world renowned Track and Field coach, Larry Steinke. Coach Steinke continues to build his legacy in producing Olympic athletes who are not only elite in their respective sport, but more importantly are good people. Larry is the head coach of the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns athletics and has also been a part of the Canadian National Team program for over 20 years. Throughout our conversation we discuss Coach Steinke’s approach to competition, his coaching philosophy, and a sprinkle of his recipe for success! 

Please join us in listening to the extremely knowledgeable Canadian sport legend, Larry Steinke!

We encourage our listeners to share, like, and subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel as we have more Lethbridge Olympians on the horizon!

Donations: https://my.charitableimpact.com/groups/lethbridge-sport-council 

Our Programs: https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/programs 
Sport Volunteer Hub: https://sportvolunteerhub.ca/

On this episode of YQL stories we are fortunate enough to hear from Joe Meli, a decorated Judoka hailing from Lethbridge Alberta who initially pursued a promising career in hockey, ended up transitioning to the sport of Judo in which he represented Canada at 4 summer Olympic Games. Joe is a sport enthusiast, a local legend, and most importantly a family man who has exemplified how to represent Canada on the world stage with respect and sportsmanship. 

Please join us in listening to the incredible story of the Lethbridge Legend, Joe Meli!

We encourage our listeners to share, like, and subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel as we have more Lethbridge Olympians on the horizon!

Donations: https://my.charitableimpact.com/groups/lethbridge-sport-council 

Our Programs: https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/programs 

Sport Volunteer Hub: https://sportvolunteerhub.ca/ 

Today, we have the pleasure of hearing from Micheal Barwegen, a soccer referee who represented Canada on the world stage at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Starting his career at just 12 years old in Coaldale, Micheal has since risen to the top of international refereeing, officiating major events like the CONCACAF Gold Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, and more. In this interview, we’ll explore his Olympic journey, the pressures of high-stakes officiating, and his role in inspiring the next generation of referees.

Please join us in listening to the powerful perspective of Lethbridge’s own professional soccer referee, Micheal Barwegen! 

We encourage our listeners to share, like, and subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel as we have more Lethbridge Olympians on the horizon!

Donations: https://my.charitableimpact.com/groups/lethbridge-sport-council 

Our Programs: https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/programs 

Sport Volunteer Hub: https://sportvolunteerhub.ca/ 

For this episode of YQL stories I had the privilege of sitting down with Kacie Bosch, a Lethbridge native who not only made waves playing professional basketball in Europe but also proudly represented Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games this past summer. Kacie’s journey from excelling at the University of Lethbridge to becoming an Olympian is truly inspiring. In this episode, we’ll dive into her experiences on the international stage, the challenges she faced, and her continued connection to her hometown community. 

Please join us in listening to an insightful and motivational conversation with one of Lethbridge’s own Olympic stars! 

We encourage our listeners to share, like, and subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel as we have more Lethbridge Olympians on the horizon!

Donations: https://my.charitableimpact.com/groups/lethbridge-sport-council 

Our Programs: https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/programs

Sport Volunteer Hub: https://sportvolunteerhub.ca/

In this episode of our YQL stories series, our guest is Rachel Nicol, a Canadian National Team Swimmer, three-time All-American, Olympian, and Pan-American Games champion. Rachel has also successfully obtained her masters degree in Kinesiology. We discussed her competitive swimming career from the grassroots level all the way to the top of the international stage.

Throughout our discussion we also talked about the balancing act of pursuing academia while being an elite athlete. Rachel explained her training regime, the impact of community while growing up in Lethbridge, the importance of taking care of your mental well-being, and many more aspects of what it takes to reach the peak of the swimming world. 

Join us in celebrating the amazing career of Rachel Nicol by listening to our conversation. 

We encourage our listeners to share, like, and subscribe to our podcast and YouTube channel as we have more Lethbridge Olympians on the horizon!

Donations: https://my.charitableimpact.com/groups/lethbridge-sport-council 

Our Programs: https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/programs 

Sport Volunteer Hub: https://sportvolunteerhub.ca/ 

This YQL story features the now-former Mayor of Lethbridge Chris Spearman. Chris served as the mayor of Lethbridge from 2013 until 2021 and shared his personal and parental experience with active living with us. 

For this edition of Your Quality Life we were lucky enough to have a chance to talk with Husky First Charger. Husky comes from the Blood reserve outside of Lethbridge. He is a skateboarding enthusiast and proud father.

For our fourth edition of Your Quality Life we were lucky enough to have a chance to talk with Lori Harasem. Lori works at the City of Lethbridge in the Recreation and Culture Department and is part of a very active family with a husband that is an ultra-distance runner, and three active children.

Lori didn't have much experience with sport and active living through much of her adult life until the age of 40. Since then her lifestyle has drastically changed and has opened up many opportunities for her. This has left her with a wealth of stories and experiences that we were lucky enough to have her share with us.