Gold medalist 'inspires possibilities'

Michelle Cameron-Coulter made a stop in Olds last week, spreading the message about building community.

The Olympic gold medallist from the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul told the assembled members of the Olds and District Chamber of Commerce that being from a family of 10 children taught her resourcefulness and teamwork. As a youngster, she was often sick and missed a lot of school, until she began swimming at the age of 13 to overcome her fear of water.

Although she started out later than other children in the sport, Cameron-Coulter said she was surrounded by an extremely supportive environment within the club and at home that helped her succeed. Cameron-Coulter credits her mother with building her strength of character and her willingness to achieve her goals.

“My parents were so supportive,” she said.

Cameron-Coulter said sport allowed her a platform to get involved in community building. In 2007, at the urging of her children, she organized an effort that involved children from 22 schools in Calgary to send toys to children in Mexico. Part of the success of that effort, Cameron-Coulter said, was not putting boundaries on what could be accomplished. Through that belief, many challenges were overcome, leading to a successful effort.

The following year, she chaired the United Way campaign.

“We all have something we can do to give back,” she said.

Cameron-Coulter has also started the Inspiring Possibilities fund that works with sports organizations to keep older children involved in sports.

“It's not necessarily about podium, it's about the life skills they get and the possibilities that they are exposed to having been able to participate in sport,” she said.

She also works with female entrepreneurs to help them succeed in business by providing a supportive environment in which they can take their businesses to a higher level of success. She said that work wouldn't have been possible without the success she enjoyed and the determination she developed through swimming.

“It's a platform/catalyst for what I do now,” she said.