Lessons learned from a life in sports

Pete Quevillon (BSc ’77)

After 10 years as a fitness and sport coordinator with Vancouver Parks and Recreation, and more than 20 years as the executive director of a children’s sport charity called KidSport BC, my degree from Waterloo has led me down a very diverse and satisfying career path.

I volunteered with KidSport in its first few years and when the job came up to lead the program, I knew I had to take it.

Sport changed my life as a kid. I was painfully shy and when I realized that I wasn’t a bad basketball player in high school, my confidence level soared in so many different ways. The friends I made in sport have remained friends for many years and the connections made through sport have been invaluable.

Perhaps a lesson learned from sport that is less obvious than others is not to judge a book by its cover. The smallest, most unassuming kid can often hit the ball a mile or make an outstanding throw.

I have also learned that sport can reflect the very best of what makes us Canadian: modesty, collaboration, pride and work ethic. I have met some of the most amazing people through working in sport and am consistently amazed how genuinely nice – another Canadian attribute – athletes are.

At KidSport we provide grants to families facing financial challenges so that they, too, may experience the lessons that come from sport.

We have so many great stories from families who have received KidSport support. We currently have an athlete ambassador who was a recipient when she was being raised by a single parent on social assistance.

KidSport funding allowed her to get involved with track and field, and she became a two-time CIS cross-country champ and is currently a national team race walker. She credits KidSport with being the main reason for her success.

Making a difference in people’s lives came to mean so much to me, and Waterloo was instrumental in forming that belief system.