This guest post was written by Village of Pemberton Councillor, local dad, and Winds of Change Committee member, James Linklater.

My daughter Anne recently paddled for Canada in the Outrigger Sprints in Calgary with a large contingent of Pembertonians.

The positive impact this has made on her has been outstanding.

I think of the  TV commercial that speaks to “it’s not what colour you come home with, it’s the one you arrived in.”

This certainly rang true with her, wearing the “red & white” outweighed the “bronze” that she & her teammates almost got in one of the races.

The camaraderie with her fellow paddlers and the people she met from New Zealand, Australia, Great Britain, the US, Tahiti, Ra Panui & others has given her huge motivation to not only continue to train & compete but to travel & pursue post-secondary venues that have strong paddling programs.

“The best two weeks ever…” was her post (with many photos) on Facebook.

The power of sport has certainly inspired her to work hard both as a student & an athlete to allow her to pursue further dreams of meeting others, travelling & to represent Canada again in Brazil in 2014!

Thanks to Coach Hugh Fisher, Karen Tomlinson, the Laoyam Eagles & Falcons, the Pemberton Canoe Club & the gov’ts of Pemberton, the SLRD & the community of Pemberton for supporting & inspiring my girl to greater heights!

If you’d like to recognise local coaches, crews or teams for their contribution to Wellness in our region, nominate them for a Winds of Change Wellness Recognition Award before October 12.