Olympic medallist rower proudly wears her poppy
By: The Eagle
By Tracy Cameron
Special to the Eagle
As the poppy boxes return to the counter-tops of our favorite cafés, local markets, and banks we are asked to support our Canadian soldiers — the brave men and women who have dedicated their lives to making the world a better place.
As an elite athlete I proudly wear the maple leaf on my uniform. I know that during the Olympics I hold the hopes of a nation on my shoulders.
When I am pushing for that finish line, when my body feels as though it has nothing left to give, I can almost always find a little something more when I think that the reasons to push harder are bigger than me.
I begin to push my legs down for everyone who may not have been able to pursue their dream. I haul the oar with all of my strength through the water to inspire future athletes. I try to find more speed by using technical proficiency for the Canadian fans who are watching and cheering.
In many ways I can imagine that the life of a soldier is quite similar. But, instead of holding the hopes of one nation they carry the hopes of several.
By bringing stability to war torn areas they build the foundation for villages and families to live a life that they may never have imagined possible.
I experienced the reality of this when I was competing at a World Cup race in Munich, Germany.
The Canadian rowing team was staying in the small village of Dachau, which at one point during World War II was the sight of one of the largest Nazi concentration camps in the country.
- Olympic medallist Tracy Cameron at a race in the 2008 Summer Olympics. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Cameron)
I visited the grounds, walked through the buildings, saw the photographs, and read about the atrocities that were so dark that it is difficult to re-tell the story.
I left the camp with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. For the remainder of the day I had no desire to socialize, so I made my way back to my room where I consumed my time reading with a good book as I tried to shift my thoughts as far away from darkness as possible.
The next morning I woke up very early. I had made arrangements with my coach to go to the boathouse as early as possible so that I could take advantage of the calm water. As we arrived at the course it was eerily quiet. We were the first to arrive and the area was still under the cover of the pre-dawn sky.
I rummaged around, found my blades and made my way to the dock. As I shoved away from the shore the first hint of daylight broke in the eastern sky. The water was perfectly still and the only sounds were the clunking of my oars and the sound that the haul makes as the boat runs though the water.
As I continued my warm-up routine to the top of the course I actually had to stop and watch a flock of geese as they interrupted my serenity with their honking as they flew overhead.
That moment is still so vivid in my mind. I can still recall the saturation of the morning sunrise on the water. I can still hear the calls of the geese. It was one of the most peaceful moments I have ever experienced, and that’s when it hit me.
Less than 60 years ago in the same location the scene would have been entirely different.
Our Canadian soldiers may have been on these grounds fighting for exactly what I was experiencing on that day — peace.
As I sat in my boat I imagined the scene that was about to unfold in mere hours from that moment. Hundreds of athletes and fans from around the globe would congregate in these stands and on the water; flags of all nations would fly together in celebration as each country had the right to enter these games in this peaceful environment.
Athletes from every color, race, religion, and gender would be welcome to compete and I would soon have the privilege to be among them.
In this moment of awe, I knew that the only reason that this moment was possible was because of the effort and the bravery of the soldiers who decades before had laid their life on the line for justice and freedom.
Tears filled my eyes as I thought about the difference that these soldiers made in my life.
I hoped beyond hope that somehow when they were in the thick of the battle they could imagine the difference that they would make to improving the life of so many people. I had never been so extremely grateful for my own grandfather, and the thousands of other Canadian soldiers as I was on that day.
I am proud to say that I went on to win a gold medal in the lightweight women’s single sculls event that morning and it was the thought of the soldiers strength that carried me through the tough stuff during the race!
So as the poppies are distributed on this Remembrance Day I will wear mine proudly over my heart.
I know that it is the efforts of our Canadian soldiers who make it possible for me to enjoy the freedom to pursue my passions and follow my dreams.
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