Marketing’s next big thing? Sports sponsorships

from The Globe and Mail Thursday June 17th, 2011

Last week’s Sports Marketing Conference in Toronto attracted a number of communications and marketing professionals looking for the next big thing to get their company names out there.

There was a full lineup of experts showcasing the latest sponsorship strategies and marketing tactics that are being deployed by some of Canada’s biggest firms. But one story really stood out. And as a small-business owner, it made me think about sports sponsorship in a whole new way.

Gold-medal-winning Olympic sprint kayaker Adam van Koeverden spoke from the perspective of an athlete. The Oakville, Ont.-born champ talked extensively about the role small businesses can play in making an impact on the lives of Canadian Olympic athletes.

Mr. Van Koeverden discussed his relationship with The Running Company, a small business in downtown Oakville that has supported him since he was a 15-year-old junior.

“People have to realize that most athletes have no money, no equipment and no support,” Greg McKinnon, owner of the store, recalls about building the relationship. “We stepped in early on and began providing Adam with shoes that he needed as part of his training program. There were times when he would need to move equipment so we would lend him the company truck to save him the cost of renting one.”

Mr. McKinnon is quick to point out that he has no expectation of a return on investment. He says he believes that providing shoes and introducing athletes to shoe manufacturers is simply part of making The Running Company a good corporate citizen. He does, however, take great pride in the photographs of Mr. Van Koeverden that hang in the store as well as the drop-ins made by athletes, which allows Mr. McKinnon to introduce them to his customers.

You can still find The Running Company logo on Mr. Van Koeverden’s apparel and on his promotional materials, alongside the logos of much larger corporate sponsors that have stepped up to support him.

It is a great example of a grassroots sponsorship that, because of strong personal relationships and its authentic nature, has endured and created a win-win program for the brand and the athlete.

Mr. Van Koeverden encourages businesses and brands considering a larger sponsorship to explore legacy programs that extend far beyond the short time frame in which an athlete is competing as an Olympian.

Big businesses spend a lot of time and money negotiating Olympic sponsorships. Sports-related sponsorships benefit the participating company through brand recognition and credibility, while providing financial support for athletes. Smart brands extend those sponsorships with longer-term commitments and athlete engagement after the excitement of the Games winds down.

For example, a construction or lumber company could consider a sponsorship that includes building new docks for a kayak or rowing training facility, rather than a one-time cash donation to a specific athlete. The legacy – a benefit to athletes in subsequent years – is not lost on many other countries around the world. There are countless stories of the superior training facilities built by sponsor programs in South America and throughout Europe.

Sponsoring an amateur sports team in a community can demonstrate your civic pride and illustrate your commitment to giving back. Search for a local sports team without a sponsor, and drive media coverage based on your support. Sponsor a promising athlete in the community and use social media to track his or her progress. Local sponsorship initiatives build a brand’s reputation, and create a favourable perception among consumers.

As Mr. McKinnon points out, there is a special pride in making a commitment to Canadian athletes.

“It is great getting to know these athletes early on and watching them grow and win. I sometimes find myself looking up at Adam’s photo and wondering where in the world he is today: training, competing and representing Canada.”

Kayak Competitions

Great Source for Adam van Koeverden's schedule and results: www.canoekayak.ca

photos and blog: www.vankayak.com

World Cup #3 May 27-29, 2011

Duisburg, Germany

http://www.kanuduisburg.de/cms/

• Silver in 1000m
• Silver in 500m

"I had a good race today in the 1000m final. Rene Poulsen (DEN) was the weltcupmeister with a fast 3:27, I finished a close 2nd also in 3:27... Eirik "2nd-half" Veraas Larsen made a late charge for the bronze. Good Battle Fellas!!"

from www.vankayak.com

World Cup #2 May 21-22, 2011

Racice, Cze

http://www.racice2011.com/

• 4th in 1000m
• 2nd in 5000m

"I had a really good race, but I came in 4th place. I wanted to practice something different, and it went really well, so I'm stoked and ready to race Duisburg next week!"

from www.vankayak.com

Athlete Profile: Adam van Koeverden

My first athlete page is dedicated to Adam van Koeverden.

Adam's blog: www.vankayak.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/vankayak

Adam carried the flag for Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. I wrote at the time:

The highlight for me definitely has to be when the Canadians walked in (isn't it every time?). I loved Adam van Koeverden as our flag bearer. I loved his enthusiasm. I loved the way he was waving the flag like if it was much smaller and lighter (as opposed to many flag bearers who let it sit in the holster). The mother in me was thinking - don't injure yourself - but as a viewer, I loved it.

He has won 3 Olympic medals.

• Gold in the K1 500m in Athens 2004
• Silver in the K1 1000m in Beijing 2008
• Bronze in the 1000m in Athens 2004

In 2008, this is what I wrote on my personal blog:

"When I saw Adam's reaction with his hand on his face this morning after losing his race, I wanted to cry. He was so awesome all week. I woke up one morning this week relieved that I had only dreamed that he didn't win a medal in his race (seriously, I did). I thought it was inconceivable for him to not win two medals. I was in shock as I watched him fade at the end of his race. You could feel his pain and dejection as he was interviewed afterwards. He wore his heart on his sleeve especially when he looked in the camera and said "I'm sorry". You could see how devastated he was. This is one of the moments in this Olympics that has brought very strong emotions in me. There were such high hopes for him. He was one of our biggest hopes for medals. He knew it. The country knew it. I thought he could win a medal in his sleep (but would have to be awake for gold). I keep hoping that I'm dreaming (as I'm sure he does). Hopefully he puts it behind him and wins gold tomorrow in the 500. I refuse to believe in the flagbearer curse."

I was happy a few days later to post the following:

"I can't say enough about Adam van Koeverden. He is an inspiration when he wins and when he doesn't. He was so eloquent in his interviews. He wore his heart on his sleeve. On his website, he said that a great friend told him "Our time in the valleys helps us truly appreciate the views from the mountain tops". If he had been told before the Games that he would come home with a silver medal, he would have been disappointed. Having had a horrendous first race (for him), he truly appreciated the silver medal (eventhough he would have preferred gold). 

I found out he won silver before I saw his race (if I had been home, I might have woken up at 3:30am to watch it live). I felt so sad for him. Then I saw the race. He's leading by a lot. The commentators are saying he's going to win, then the others start catching him (I'm thankful that I know he won't win so I don't get overly excited or disappointed). Then the results come up. First to Australia. Second to Great Britain. His shoulders slump. I can see his disappointment (he later says he's scared he won't be on the podium and will want to go and hide somewhere). Then they remove Great Britain and put his name for silver. 

It was so great to see him happy with silver when the country expected double gold."

You can follow his activities on Twitter or on his blog. You can view the races from the link I got from his website at the time:
http://video.digotel.com/eurovisionbest/icf/index.html It's at times like these that I appreciate the internet. A few years ago, we may have gotten results in the newspapers. Now, we can actually see the races.

I can't remember when I started following his blog and him on Twitter, but there was a time when I saw that there was an Adam van Koeverden Street in Oakville. I vowed to go there some day to see it. By chance a couple of weeks ago (May 14th), I was attending an event at the Oakville Club. As I'm approaching the club, I look up and see tthe Water Street sign that has been ceremoniously named Adam van Koeverden Street.

I love that my Mothers On Fire event has brought me to Adam van Koeverden Street, since they were instrumental on getting me to realize my dream to attend the 2010 Olympics.

My 2010 Olympics

When I first found out that the Olympics would be in Vancouver, I half-jokingly asked my friends who lived there if I could reserve a corner on the floor of their apartment. I imagined that everyone they knew would be wanting to attend the Olympics so didn't even imagine that the couch would be available.

When they moved to Victoria, I (again half-jokingly) asked them, what about my corner? They assured me that getting to Vancouver would not be a problem from there.

When the first phase of tickets went on sale, reality set in. The expense of buying tickets and getting accommodation for a family of four seemed too big of an obstacle. I realized that the Olympics at the other end of my country wasn't going to happen for me.

I was crushed, but then focused on the Olympic relay. I applied wherever I could in order to run the relay. I figured that this was my destiny. It was my consolation prize, but what a prize it would be. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), I was not chosen to run the Olympic relay.

When the torch was lit in Greece, I couldn't watch it on television. I couldn't believe that our home Olympics was beginning and that I wouldn't get to experience first hand. Some of my favourite Olympians were on hand when the torch arrived in BC, so I couldn't resist watching that...happy for them to experience what I couldn't. This is when I started blogging about the 2010 Olympics and my journey to make my dream of attending the Olympics a reality.

The label "My 2010 Olympics" contains those posts that were initially published on My Life Is Like A Song. I am reposting them here with their original dates.

Welcome

Olympic Hearts is a blog where I will write about one of my great passions...the Olympics.

Posts will showcase some of my favourite athletes, Olympic sports and the Games themselves.

I have been an Olympic fan since my childhood. Whenever the Games were on, I was glued to the television set. I finally got my chance to attend the Olympic Games in 2010 in Vancouver. At the time, I thought I had achieved my Olympic dream. I had lived my dream, checked it off my bucket list and thought it was over. What I realized a couple of months ago (which isn't earth-shattering or surprising really) is that I LOVE the Olympics. Why is that dream over? I realized that this magical experience in Vancouver has ignited my passion for the Olympics even more. Even if my future experiences never match the magic of 2010, why should it end there?

When the Olympics are on, I eat and breathe the Olympics. I thought why keep it to a couple of weeks every four years? With many athletes blogging and tweeting these days, it's easier to follow their rise to Olympic stardom.

Rather than bombarding my original blog My Life Is Like A Song with Olympic and sports posts, I decided to dedicate a new blog to it I called Olympic Hearts. I'm hoping that by keeping up with the athletes and sports, I will better know the athletes when the Olympics come around whether I am there in person or watching on television. I am also hoping that I may get to see these athletes compete in local events that may not have been on my radar otherwise.

I'm not sure at this point what the continuation of my Olympic dream will involve, but I know that attending the 2010 Games is not the end.

This blog is the continuation. I'm hoping that it will guide me to my future Olympic experiences. By researching and writing about the Olympics and athletes, I'm hoping that some opportunities will open up that I may not have come across. There may be local competitions and events I could attend. I can follow athletes as they strive for their Olympic dreams. I could come across some volunteer positions or if I want to shoot for the moon, this could lead to an Olympic career that would take me to the Games.

This website is the start. I'm hoping that it will guide me to my future Olympic experiences.

Alex Gough wins World Cup

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on February 15, 2011

For the past 13 years, Germany has won every women's luge World Cup event...that's 105 races in a row!

The streak ended on the weekend when Alex Gough of Calgary became the first Canadian woman to win a World Cup luge event.

She's had a few 3rd place finishes this year including a bronze at the World Championships.



At this race, she was first with Germany coming in 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th.

Wishing Alex continued success!!

Erik Guay - Downhill World Champion

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on February 15, 2011

Erik Guay has added another achievement to his resume: World Downhill Champion. On the weekend, he won the downhill at the World Championships.

Last year he won the the overall Super-G title. I wrote about that here and then when I met him, I wrote about that experience here. The only thing missing on his resume now is an Olympic medal.

The World Championships are held every two years. In 2009, Didier Cuche was second to a different Canadian: Jon Kucera. When I met him this past fall (with Erik Guay), I posted his winning run. You can see it here. With Kucera still not recovered from his broken leg, it left Guay and the rest of the Canadian team to try to defend his title.

Erik Guay did just that with a superb run:



He was 10th out of the start gate. Christof Innerhofer had raced just before him beating the previous best time by more than 1 second. Guay beat his time by 0.76 seconds. Then he waited as the world's other top skiers each had a turn to beat his time. Didier Cuche was the only one who got close. He finished second three tenths of a second behind.

I'm thankful that it was televised even if it was one day later. It was great to see Erik at the top of the podium singing O Canada.

Congratulations to Erik and best of luck in his quest for an Olympic medal!!

What A Weekend!

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on February 15, 2011

It has been an incredible weekend for Canadians. For those not interested in the details, here is a summary. I will write individual posts to follow of each achievement.

Erik Guay won the World Championships in the downhill. Last year he won the overall Super-G title. I wrote about that here and then when I met him, I wrote about that experience here. The only thing missing on his resume is an Olympic medal.

Alex Gough became the first Canadian to win a World Cup luge race.

Milos Raonic won his first ATP title at the San Jose SAP Open. Last month he had an incredible fourth round result at the Australian Open that I wrote about here.

Arcade Fire won the coveted Best Album at the Grammy Awards. Other Canadians have won the Best Album Award in the past, but they were more mainstream acts. It is incredible that Arcade Fire who are far from mainstream would win this award.

Last, but not least ;-) Jacques Villeneuve won his first race in the Andros Trophy ice racing series holding off Alain Prost. I was thrilled this morning to find a website that showed his race as well as the congratulations he receives at the end.

Quite the weekend!

Supporting Athletes

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on February 14, 2011

It was a year ago that Alexandre Bilodeau became the first Canadian to win a gold medal on home soil.

He began our most successful games winning more gold medals than any other country at a Winter Olympics.

For every gold medal winner, there are other athletes who don't reach the top of the podium, but may reach a personal best. Some may have an off day that breaks their heart. Most (hopefully all) give the best that they have to give that day. Some win, some don't.

Whether they win or not, our support can mean a lot to them. Last week as I was reminiscing about the Olympics, I remembered an athlete saying that even a small amount can make the difference between a good meal and an ok meal. I can't remember who said it, but I didn't forget it although I didn't know how I could help.

A few days later, I was catching up on my RSS feeds and read this article by Randy Starkman in The Toronto Star. It was too bad that I didn't read it the day he wrote it. It was the last day for donations to Canadian Athlete Fund to be matched.

The cool thing about Canadian Athlete Fund is that you can choose to find out who was the recipient of your donation. That gives you an extra reason to cheer for them as well as to donate more often to help more athletes.

Since then, I received an email from the Canadian Olympic Committee. They also have a fund that helps athletes. You can get more information or donate here.

The Canadian Tourism Commission is donating one dollar to Olympic athletes for every person that clicks like on their facebook page.

Before the Olympics began last year, all I dreamed of was for a single gold medal. I didn't want to be the country that hosted three times without a gold medal. As excited as we were last year for each gold medal; for me, it doesn't matter whether we ever come close to matching that magic again. We did it at home and it was unforgettable.

All I want is for our athletes to do their best. This includes having the time and energy to train as best as they can. That's not to say that I won't be cheering and hoping for gold. I may shed a tear if my favourite falls short, but if our athletes have performed to the best of their ability that day, it's all we can ask for.

Although some athletes have sponsors and can train full time; most amateur athletes don't have that luxury. Many work part time in order to support their passion and their dream.

A single donation from a Canadian fan may not seem like it can make a difference for our athletes, but donations from thousands can make a huge difference.

Meet and Greet with Erik Guay

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on October 25, 2010

I love living in Toronto, although I almost just missed this opportunity.

I was cleaning out my emails this afternoon when I came upon an email from Sporting Life that came in last week. Erik Guay would be in my neighbourhood tonight. Luckily it's only a few blocks away, so between dinner and my son's guitar lesson, I managed to get away to meet a World Cup Champion and Olympian.

When I went to the Olympics last year, the downhill race was on the opening weekend when I would be there, but the logistics of getting up to Whistler the morning after the Opening Ceremonies was not possible in my reality. Yes, rather than taking a bus and ferry to Victoria, I could have taken a bus to Whistler (and possibly stayed up all night), but I did try to do my Olympic trip on a realistic budget. The downhill was delayed due to inclement weather so by the time it was run two days later, I was in Vancouver having spent the night there after the Men's Moguls. With an extra day to spend in Vancouver, I chose to go to Canada House to watch the Olympics with fellow Olympic fans. I was thrilled to watch the downhill while enjoying my poutine, and although we all hope for medals...I (and many Canadians) understand that a 5th place finish in a downhill is an amazing accomplishment. He would double that accomplishment with a 5th in the Giant Slalom a few days later.

This would be the beginning of his incredible end of season when he would win the World Cup Overall Title. He's the first Canadian since Steve Podborski in 1982 to win a "Crystal Globe".

Here's the video of his Championship winning run. Coming from behind in the standings, he needed to be close to winning and needed his competitors to be further behind.



I arrived at Sporting Life more than one hour after his arrival. There was no longer an organized line-up, so it was difficult to figure out who was waiting and who was hanging around. As it looked like Erik was offering his seat to John Kucera who had just arrived, I moved forward to get his autograph not wanting to miss my opportunity.

Speaking to him in his native french, he asked me where I was from. We talked about his Olympic accomplishments (and where I was during the Olympics). He shared that he didn't get to spend as much time in Vancouver as he would have liked. I congratulated him on his World Cup title and that is when I spotted the Crystal Globe. I hadn't paid much attention to the table since my arrival. I asked him if that was the original "Crystal Globe" and he said it was. He asked me if I wanted a photo of it, so I got my camera out. He insisted that I also be in the photo so he asked someone he knew to take the photo.


I then met John Kucera who was a last minute addition to the event. Last year, I was bummed when he broke his leg a few months before the Olympic Games. He had won the downhill at the World Championships in 2009.

Here's that winning run:


and the anthem:


He was a great hope for our alpine ski team and I felt for him that he would miss competing in his home country. Being a late addition, they didn't have any personalized cards for him to sign like Erik did. I hesitated, but asked him if he minded signing my Olympic pamphlet even if he wasn't there as a competitor. I had brought the pocket size book I received with my Olympics ticket in case they didn't have anything in particular for autographs. He was very understanding and was happy to sign it. I asked him how he felt working at the Olympics rather than competing and he said that he enjoyed it having accepted his fate and was looking forward to the next Olympics. I did enjoy his opinions and analysis at the Olympics. He was very knowledgeable and natural. Perhaps this misfortune could end up leading to a second career once he retires from competitive skiing.


Later edit: annoyed at myself for not linking to my original post from when Erik won the overall title last winter. You can read that post here.

Toronto Waterfront Marathon

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song on September 26, 2010

Before you start thinking that I have gone for another run the week after having my first run in over a decade, I'll start by saying that I went to watch the Waterfront Marathon this morning.

I didn't go because I am newly inspired by running. I have known for weeks or months that I wanted to go. I read that Simon Whitfield (the triathlete who won gold at the 2000 Olympics and silver at the 2008 Olympics) would be in Toronto for the Waterfront Marathon, and call me naive (no really, go ahead) I thought it was to run the marathon. He was a guest speaker yesterday...and did tweet about running, but it turns out (I would later find out), not the marathon.

A couple of weeks ago, I was out walking my dog when I ran into a friend of mine who was out for a run. I met him over five years ago when he first arrived in Canada from Mexico. He's always training for a marathon so I asked him when his next race was. He said he was running the Waterfront Marathon. I told him I was hoping to go to watch in the hopes of seeing Simon.

I made my way downtown for the 7:30am start at University and Adelaide. It was inspiring to see all the runners and their friends and families cheering them on.


After seeing the start, I walked south to see where I could see the leaders next. It turns out that I had time to get to Lakeshore before they arrived from a small loop to the east. Five minutes after the lead pack, there was my Mexican friend. I cheered some encouragement and watched him go. As much as I knew that he was a top runner, it was still amazing to see him so close to the front.

The lead pack included mostly Kenyans and Ethiopians.

The eventual winner Kenneth Mungara is running on the right. He would finish the race in 2:07:58. The fastest time ever on Canadian soil.

Reid Coolsaet of Hamilton would finish 10th in 2:11:22 to qualify for the 2012 Olympics (and the fastest time by a Canadian on Canadian soil and 5th fastest Canadian marathon all time). You can read more about his race and his thoughts on the Olympics on his blog. Also in the photo is Rob Watson, his teammate, who paced with him for over 20km.

Eric Gillis (originally from Nova Scotia but now residing in Guelph) would finish one spot behind in 2:12:08 to miss the Olympic qualifying time by 39 seconds (although it is the 8th fastest marathon by a Canadian all time). He competed at the 2008 Olympics in the 10k race. He also has a blog with a nice photo of him carrying the torch during the 2010 Olympic relay.


Reid qualifying for the Olympics is great news for Canada. Although the official Olympic qualifying time is 2:18 (which would allow a few Canadian marathoners to qualify), Canada has a medal possibility mentality which means they lowered that standard to 2:12:38 for our athletes for the 2008 Olympics. No one qualified and many questioned the Canadian standard. There were many debates about whether the Olympics were for sending our best in each event or only sending those who had a chance to medal. The Olympic qualifying time for the Toronto marathon today was 2:11:29. I'm not sure if it was just for this marathon (that is known to be flat) or they have lowered the standard more for 2012. Unlike in 2008, Canada will have at least one runner competing in the marathon (if he proves to be fit in the months leading up to the Games); and hopefully Eric (and/or others) will join him.

I managed to get a good photo of my Mexican friend at the 20km mark. It doesn't look like he's struggling at all.


I started walking north, figuring I would go home. As I approached Nathan Phillips Square, the half-marathoners were finishing. The atmosphere was so exciting. Realizing that the marathoners would be finishing soon, I decided to stay to see them one last time. Nathan Phillips Square was filled with people. There was no way I would get to see anything. I decided to go back down to Front Street East to catch them before the last kilometer.

I arrived in time to see my friend and give a few more words of encouragement before he finished 30 minutes behind the winner in 37th! I'll be interested to hear his thoughts the next time I run into him. To me it's amazing, but I wonder if he'll be disappointed at being 4th in his age group (not counting the overall winner) when the top 3 receive prizes or did he reach a personal best time?

I was so interested in seeing the runners go by. There were tall ones, short ones...old ones, young ones...athletic looking ones, and non-athletic looking ones. I am watching all these athletes and realizing that running is for anyone. You don't have to be coordinated. You don't have to look good or look like you're not struggling. If you can put one foot in front of the other, if you can have the determination to keep pushing, even if it hurts, then you can be a runner.

Then, as I'm considering leaving, I see another friend of mine. I'm not surprised knowing he has run the Boston Marathon (holding a Happy Birthday balloon for a friend the whole way), but still impressed by his finish in 3:29, fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon. I wish I had a photo of him but by the time you recognize someone, there is no time for a photo. The photo of my Mexican friend was from the second time I would see him. I knew when to expect him and knew what colour he was wearing so as he approached, I was ready.

If I had kept waiting, I wonder how many more friends I might have seen? I know quite a few marathon runners. I spent three and a half hours watching the marathon. One hour of which was near the finish line. It was so interesting to see the various reactions of the runners. Some were quite focused and not acknowledging the cheering. Some of them were appreciative, smiling, waving or nodding while others encouraged the crowd to be even louder.

The pace bunnies were also interesting. Unlike the elite pacers who are chosen for particular runners and run alongside, these bunnies hold a sign with the time they will finish the marathon. If you have a goal in mind, you follow those bunnies. There are also run/walk bunnies (run for 10 minutes, walk for 1 minute). One of the first ones was pointing at the runner who was about to reach the time he set as his goal to encourage the crowd to cheer louder for him. I was thinking, you have just run this marathon holding a sign and pacing someone. That's pretty incredible too.

A later pacer had a few runners with him and he was encouraging the runners he was in the process of losing to catch up. One of them had a resigned look on his face. With less than 1 km to go, he wasn't going to reach his goal.

I saw family and friends spot their loved ones. One in particular was so elated at her time, almost hopping while pointing to her watch when she saw her friend. I imagined she was about to beat her personal best (she was way ahead of the women qualifying times for Boston). She still had energy to finish.

I learned a lot of this information after coming home. I didn't know what the Boston qualifying times were. I didn't know who our best Canadians were, or the best runners for that matter. I didn't know there were pace bunnies (I had seen them at my kids' cross-country races - more to lead the way than pacing them though).

Next time, I will explore the website in more detail before going. I will also plan on spending more time watching more runners close to the finish. It would also be interesting to see those runners who have completing a marathon as their goal and seeing their reaction. The photo of Reid at the finish line after beating the Olympic qualifying time that he posted on his blog is worth seeing.

Simon or no Simon, watching the Toronto marathon is a fun and inspiring activity.

Terry Fox Documentary - Into The Wind

Originally published on My Life Is Like A Song September 20, 2010

Into The Wind is a documentary about Terry Fox directed by Steve Nash and Ezra Holland. The documentary is part of ESPN's 30 for 30 documentary series which is described as:

An unprecedented documentary series featuring thirty films from some of today’s finest storytellers. Each filmmaker will bring their passion and personal point of view to their film detailing the issues, trends, athletes, teams, rivalries, games and events that transformed the sports landscape from 1979 to 2009. (from ESPN website)

Last Sunday, I was fortunate enough to be part of the first audience to see Into The Wind at the Toronto International Film Festival.

The documentary doesn't only recount the Marathon of Hope from 1980, it includes current interviews with key figures in the story including his parents, his brother and his best friend (Doug Alward) who drove the van during the Marathon of Hope.

They also interviewed Douglas Coupland who wrote the book Terry commemorating the 25th anniversary of the run and Leslie Scrivener a Toronto Star journalist who after following Terry on the Marathon of Hope wrote the book Terry Fox: His Story in 1981 and re-released it in 2000.

The filmmakers didn't portray an idealistic view of the Marathon of Hope. They didn't sugar coat the story. They showed the struggles and the frustration experienced both by Terry, his friend and his family. In doing so, it makes us feel closer to Terry, like if we knew him. He wasn't perfect but there is no doubt of his dedication to his cause.

The documentary covers the Marathon of Hope, but also gives us a glimpse of his life before he had cancer. It reveals how Terry came up with the idea to run across the country and how he prepared for it. It documents the struggles Steve and his friend Doug experienced at the beginning when getting the media to pay attention was difficult and then when the opposite occurred in Ontario where media attention was overwhelming.

In honour of the 30th anniversary of the Marathon of Hope, the documentary about Terry Fox that Steve Nash directed was aired on TSN2 last night, with upcoming encore broadcasts on TSN and CTV. You can see more detail here. It will debut in the U.S. on ESPN on September 30th.

Steve Nash and Ezra Holland are hoping to introduce more people to Terry's story by making this film for an American audience, but also celebrate a Canadian icon.

Although it is heartbreaking, more importantly, it is so inspiring. Terry is a great example of what one person can do. He was truly an exceptional human being who had incredible motivation to achieve his goals and overcome obstacles.

Whether you are very familiar with Terry's story or are new to it, Into The Wind is a documentary worth watching.