Marc Kennedy’s question was answered during Wednesday’s visit to Sturgeon Heights School.
The St. Albert Curling Club product, Olympic gold medallist, two-time world champion and three-time Brier winner asked students to follow their dreams like he did.
“Growing up I loved curling and I wanted to do curling for the rest of my life and that’s why I still do it. That’s why I love it and that’s why I came and talked to you guys about it,” Kennedy told a Grade 1 class of excited and wide-eyed students.
“If you guys love doing something – if you love hockey, if you love painting or colouring, if you love animals – I just want you to do whatever it is that you love. We call that following your dreams; whatever you dream of doing when you grow up. When I was young I dreamt of being a curler. I dreamt of winning this trophy and I dreamt of going to the Olympics and I worked really, really hard and I got to accomplish my dreams. I want all of you to have dreams and to chase them with a lot of hard work. Can you guys do that for me?
The answer was a resounding “Yes!”
Kennedy, 34, literally “hurry hard” from classroom to classroom during the morning visit on Marc Kennedy Day at the school. His collection of curling props included the legendary Brier Tankard, the most coveted trophy in Canadian curling.
“It’s pretty cool, isn’t it,” Kennedy said. “They never let us keep this trophy. Usually when we win it we have to give it right back but I asked them for a special favour to let me bring it to school and show it to you guys today so that’s awesome.”
Kennedy’s gold medal from the recent worlds in Basel, Switzerland was passed around so every student could experience the thrill he felt winning it with the Kevin Koe rink that finished 12-1.
“Did you win everything?” a student piped up as Kennedy talked about worlds.
“No, not every game, just the important ones.”
Kennedy also showed off his curling shoes.
“They look like normal dress shoes but what makes them very special is what’s on the bottom of the curling shoes,” he explained. “One is a gripper and one is a slider. Pretty cool shoes, huh?”
“I want those,” a student shouted.
Kennedy also brought a curling rock to the show and tell segment. He asked the class what the rock is made of.
“Is it cement?” was one reply.
A boy asked if he could lift it and Kennedy obliged, with assistance, of course.
“This weighs as much as most of you. This rock is 44 pounds,” Kennedy said.
“I weigh 60 pounds,” another student declared.
Kennedy also gave a brief history on the modern broom he uses and the old-time corn broom and gave sweeping demonstrations with them, prompting a student to ask: “How fast can you sweep?”
“As fast as I can,” he said with a smile.
Kennedy was grilled during the question and answer portion of his talk by the inquisitive students.
“Why did you start curling?”
“My mommy and daddy use to curl and my daddy started a program here in St. Albert called the Little Rock program. We had a whole bunch of little kids like me, I was only six, and he taught us all how to curl and I just fell in love with it. That’s what got me started and I used to love watching it on TV so that always helped me too,” Kennedy said. “Curling is a lot of fun. That’s why I still do it. That’s why I love it because it’s still a lot of fun.”
He was also quizzed about fundraising to attend curling events.
“We get paid a little bit of money to curl but we do have to raise most of our money to play our sport,” said Kennedy, listing off flights and hotels as the biggest expenses. “It costs a lot of money to go to our tournaments.”
Did he play other sports as well?
“When I was young I did lots. I played football and I was in karate and I was in soccer and curling and those are my four favourite sports. Now, I like to do golfing because that’s what you do when you get a little older,” said the former St. Albert Storm quarterback while attending Paul Kane High School.
Kennedy was also asked: “Do you have any curling friends?”
“I have lots of good friends that I curl with. I have one guy that’s been my teammate (Ben Hebert) now for 11 years. He bugs me a lot too though but he’s still one of my best friends. I still love him. Those are the best friends to have.”
