From Superbowl Champ to Frontline Hero

Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, you are probably asking who this is and let me tell you he is impressive! Laurent is a talented offensive lineman with the Kansas City Chiefs and a NFL Super Bowl champion (2020)! With a Super Bowl championship comes money and fame, life was good. But then Covid-19 hit and this 29 year old from Montreal Canada (yes he is Canadian!!) decided to opt out of the 2020 football season, after spending the off season in a seniors home. Laurent not only is an established and respected football player but he has his medical degree. Are you impressed yet?

After spending the summer helping the most vulnerable during the pandemic, he felt he rather put his own health at risk helping on the front lines then on the offensive line. I cannot but think, what a selfless act! It is hard not to think about another Canadian who 40 years ago despite his poor health ran across the country to help bring awareness and raise funds for cancer, my favourite Canadian hero Terry Fox. It is people like these that inspire me and I hope also inspire others.

Today Laurent Duvernay-Tardif was awarded Canada's highest sports honour, the Lou Marsh Award. He shares this honour with previous recipients Wayne Gretzky, Barbara Ann Scott, Steve Nash, Kallie Humphries, Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue, just to name a few or as I put it Canada's Sports Royalty.

Everyday I aspire to be better a better person, which during difficult times is not always easy. Then along comes a story about of a sports champion, but he isn't jet setting around the world or driving in a fancy Bentley or even vacationing on a yacht. Instead, this young Canadian took off his super bowl ring and put on some scrubs. Instead of shaking hands with his fans, he held the hands of his dying patients. Congratulations Laurent for being a champion in the hearts of Canadians. Merci Laurent!