Pondering my final message as CPRS Edmonton president, my thoughts drifted back to 1996. How can that be a quarter of a century ago and feel like only yesterday to me? What crept into my mind next was this – some CPRS student members were barely toddlers back then, or merely an awesome idea in development. At that point I gazed out the window, saw snow falling on my brave little peonies on the balcony, and concluded that life and careers are truly built on rhythm and timing.
What was so special about 1996? Pre-Google it might have taken you a bit longer to decipher. Today, you may have already searched your way to a logical answer. But, if I were a Tik Tok content producer, I’d stop here and tease my next post.
Instead, I’ll cut through the suspense!
August 1996 had many of us glued to our televisions and the summer Olympics in Atlanta where Canada’s great sprinter, Donovan Bailey, and three fellow Jamaican Canadians made history, winning the 4×100 relay in a world record time that was held until Usain Bolt and the Beijing 2008 Games.
It was an awesome moment, but it wasn’t perfect! There were missteps in the lead-up, including a fender-bender on the way to their final race.
Experts have said the key for the Canadian team wasn’t their speed, it was their execution in the transition zones. Each sprinter was fiercely competitive, but they had to set their individual rivalries aside when it came to the relay.
As sprinter Glenroy Gilbert recalled: “What you saw at the end was a team that was connected and ready on the field of play.”
I can’t think of a better story on which to wrap my leg of CPRS Edmonton’s ever-fresh relay. I know we’re executing the transition zone smoothly and that like the Canadian dream team of 1996, we are trusting in our teammates. Here’s to making June 10 a smooth baton snap as we continue to do good as CPRS members who serve a community so much bigger than our profession alone. Faster, stronger, better together! Lyn