Zach Bell: 2012 Arctic Winter Games Athlete Ambassador and Canadian Olympic Cyclist March 6, 2012 Share Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Reddit Share on LinkedIn Email The Vice-President (Youth) for the Aboriginal Peoples’ Commission, Caroline Jacobson had the opportunity to speak with Zach Bell, Canadian Olympic cyclist and Athlete Ambassador for the 2012 Arctic Winter Games. Here’s how it went: CJ: Zach, thank you so much for taking some time to chat with us about the 2012 Arctic Winter Games. You’ve had so much success in your journey thus far, we want to congratulate you on all that you have achieved and thank you for being such a great role model for so many Canadians! I guess the first question I’d like to ask you is what are you doing right now? ZB: Right now I am in an attic of a potato farm in Belgium. I am here racing a group of races called the Spring classics. They are some of the hardest road racing events in the world. I am here to help my team try and win races and to improve my form for my specific events leading into the 2012 Olympics Games this summer in London. CJ: That’s very exciting, and after that? ZB: From here I go to Los Angeles to prepare for the upcoming World Championships in Melbourne that start in April! CJ: How did you get into cycling? ZB: I wrestled throughout high school in the Yukon and then with the University of Calgary for 2 years. I saw friends getting injured and put out of the sport so I decided I need to find a cross-training method that was not as hard on the body in order to increase the longevity of my wrestling career. My family has always been into cycling- like mountain bikes and touring. My dad is an Outdoor-Education teacher so the transition was pretty obvious. Soon after training on the bike, I decided I was enjoying it more then the wrestling and felt there was nothing more I could achieve in that sport. I made the switch to cycling at first with the intention of just racing provincially as a recreational competitor. CJ: That’s quite an interesting path to have taken to get to where you are! I want to talk about the Arctic Winter Games. You’ve been involved for quite some time, why are the AWG important to you? ZB: The AWG formed the very foundation of my young competitive life. It taught me that sport could take you places, teach you things, broaden your world, and give you a path to travel on that would change you forever. It taught me what goal setting was really all about. AWG taught me about disappointment, surprise, negotiation (pin trading) and the value of the human spirit. AWG can be the engine to change the lives of youth in a world where positive [youth] opportunities may not always exist. I think it is the single greatest opportunity for circumpolar young people. It can truly change them. If it does that, it changes the communities they live in, and it changes the lives of all the people around them. CJ: When you were a AWG competitor, which events did you participate in? ZB: I was involved in Wrestling in Eagle River Alaska in 1996, Badminton in Yellowknife in 1998, and Wrestling again in Whitehorse in 2000. CJ: What sets the AWG apart from other competitions you’ve been to? ZB: It is a competition with a big-games feel and energy, a diversity that is only found there and at the Olympics but with a sense of community that makes it more intimate then the Olympics. The competition is intense but the friendships are stronger then those you make at other games. It is the true embodiment of what sport should be without the interference from invested interests. It is sport for sport sake. It is high quality sport with high quality sportsmanship. CJ: What is your favourite sport/event at the AWG? ZB: The high kicks are unbelievable. They are such a unique expression of athleticism. The venue is always full of silent anticipation and then sudden explosions of energy! It is the intensity of poker with the excitement of an NHL shootout. Plus I find the athletes who do well are never the ones you expect… CJ: Aboriginal youth face many social and economic obstacles, and we all know that perseverance is so important to their success- do you have any advice for them? ZB: Obstacles are what produce greatness! They may cause you to stumble, fall, get a face full of mud, but none of these things reduce your value as a person. No matter your past or present, you are capable of great things in the future. The first step is taking pride in who you are, where you are from and what you are willing to work for. AWG is a great goal and a great way to make a change in your life for the better. The only thing preventing you from overcoming obstacles is the personal decision not to do so. There is always a way up, a way out and a way forward. Strength comes from knowing how to use your community for help in achieving the things you want to work towards. If you have goals, then the journey to achieve them will be what makes you stronger. CJ: Did you have role models growing up? Where do you find your inspiration? ZB: I had many role models. Kris Wilson was a great Canadian wrestler who was robbed of an Olympic gold medal by poor referees. He was humble and thankful throughout the process. Liegh Verling was a coach I had. He taught me the value that every step, is a step forward – no matter how small. My father taught me that it is never to early to believe you are capable and that working hard is always a good thing – no matter what the end result. Pushing your own limits is the only way you ever know what you are worth to yourself! CJ: I’ve had a great time, but alas, it’s time to let you get back to your training. Do you have any departing thoughts before we have to go? ZB: Life is never easy. It is not always pretty. And it is not what you see on TV. It is more frightening and more beautiful than anything you can possibly imagine. Life is nothing though, without the willingness to have the experiences – to go out into the world and DO! Goals will give you a direction to move. A purpose for seeking out experiences. Goals will allow you to live a life you never thought you would see. Striving for goals has taken me from a cabin in the Yukon forest, to standing on the Great Wall of China, dancing in the Red Square in Moscow, running through the rain in Sydney. Goals have given me all I have in my life. They have given me my friends, my wife, and all my dreams for the future. Set goals, live life and be open to the experiences that begin to happen. CJ: Zach, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us and most importantly, encouraging youth to achieve! On behalf of the entire National Executive of the Aboriginal Peoples’ Commission, I wish to congratulate you on your success and wish you the best on your Olympic quest! ZB: No problem Caroline! I think it’s time that people of the Yukon and Canada truly understand what our youth are capable of… I just hope that I can be a big part of changing the lives of a generation of kids! – 30 – For more information on Zach Bell, please contact: Russell Reimer, MCS Manifesto Sport Management, Calgary, AB (403) 585-8242 or “Like” him on Facebook For more information on the Aboriginal Peoples’ Commission, please contact: Kevin Seesequasis Vice-President (Communications) Contact Us *Note 1: Participation in this interview does not imply affiliation to or endorsement of any political party or entity* *Note 2: Interview was published in the language it was received*