By Melanie Jacksonmsjacksonpei@gmail.com
“Anytime a challenge comes your way or you’re faced with some kind of obstacle, you can treat it as an obstacle or an opportunity,” Heather Moyse, Olympic gold medal winner, told the crowd at the Morell Sportsman’s Dinner Saturday night.
Ms Moyse, a Summerside native who took home gold in the two woman bobsled competition at the 2010 Olympics, was the guest speaker at last weekend’s fundraising event.
Ms Moyse spoke to a full house inside Morell Regional High School’s gymnasium about the importance of believing in yourself and working hard at your goals, no matter where you live or what resources you have.
“Just doing what you love, it doesn’t really matter where you are,” Ms Moyse said.
The crowd erupted in applause after watching a video of Ms Moyse’s 2010 medal-winning performance.
“I won the race for me,” Ms Moyse said, holding her gold medal up for everyone to see, “but I won this medal for Canada.”
The dinner, which was held to raise funds for construction of a new rink in Morell, comes on the heels of the village’s recent win in the Kraft Celebration Tour against the competing Pownal rink.
On July 9, with a final tally of more than 148,000 votes to Pownal rink’s approximate 12,000 votes, Morell easily claimed the $25,000 cash prize that will be used to help replace the village’s aging arena.
The Morell Sportsman’s Dinner began in 1962 to raise money to build a rink in the village. The annual event ran for 30 years, until 1992, playing host to many famous sports figures over the years, such as hockey legends Bobby Orr and Guy Lafleur.
The dinner was reinstated in 2012 after a group of area residents formed together to raise funds for a new rink, as part of Project 2014.
Project 2014 consists of a group of dedicated individuals who work to ensure the future of Morell Community Rink and expand services available to the region, such as medical, cultural and recreational services.
Moyse is only the second woman to be a guest speaker at the Sportsman’s Dinner, after Island golfer Lorie Kane.
Photo: Heather Moyse, Olympic gold medal winner, was the guest speaker at the Morell Sportsman’s Dinner on Saturday night. The Summerside native told the packed house to always believe in your goals and your ability to achieve them, no matter where you’re from. Melanie Jackson photo
First appeared in The Eastern Graphic July 17, 2013
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