The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
It was a dream she was determined to follow. And even though Dawn Currie's dream is coming true, it's not the way she planned it for all those years. The former Flin Flonner had hoped to be the captain of the Canadian women's basketball team, scoring the game-winning basket at the Olympics and getting the chance to carry the torch to the ceremonies. While Currie won't be carrying the torch, or shooting hoops for that matter, she will be working at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Her ultimate goal of making it to the Olympics has finally come true. As the director of Sport Development with Speed Skating Canada (SSC), Currie will hang her hat in Vancouver for a month while she works in the SSC House. Alongside Currie, five other employees from Speed Skating Canada will be working at the house, a venue for the families and friends of the athletes. While the Olympics are focused on the athletes, Currie says it's just as much about the families who have sat for countless events and games as they have supported the athletes along the way. The house, she says, is designed to "make the best Olympic experience possible" for both the families and the athletes. The house will be home to families of the Canadian speed skating athletes Ð and the SSC is one of a few organizations that does this for their athletes. Jean Dupre, with Speed Skating Canada, had a vision, according to Currie. "He had a vision that the games are not just about the athletes. It's about ensuring the families, who support the athletes, are there," she says. In the pursuit of excellence, she says, the house is meant to provide the best experience possible. As a former Flin Flonner, Currie got her start working with the Norman Summer Games after finishing university. Having also worked for both the City of Flin Flon and the City of Thompson, Currie says she has always been involved in recreation. Getting her start with the Norman Summer Games has ultimately led her to working at the 2010 Olympics. "It's really important for people to realize," she said, "that all of these opportunities you are given contribute to who you are and the opportunities you get down the road." Over the past few years, Currie has thought a few times that she has hit the path that would take her to her dream. While her dream has always been to be at the Olympics, over the course of the years, the path has changed. "Everyone has all of these dreams," she says, "and sometimes they don't happen as you thought they would. But it's important to not stop dreaming. "You might alter your dreams, but you never stop dreaming." Currie has made a few alterations of her own. In 2000, she started hosting Olympic Youth Leadership Symposiums, creating awareness of the Olympic movement. Passing on the message about the Olympics to the athletes, who then brought the information home with them, Currie thought that was going to be the closest she would get to the Olympics. Later, Currie was given the chance to attend a similar event in Greece for international athletes. Passing on similar information, Currie again thought maybe this was going to be the closest she got to the Olympics. Then about seven years ago, she was contacted to work for Speed Skating Canada in Ottawa. "This was my Olympic moment," she said. Currie will leave Moncton, NB, where she currently lives, to attend the Olympics. It's been her dream all these years, but she says she has mixed emotions. "I'm a little overwhelmed sometimes," she admits, because of all of the responsibilities. "But...almost everyday my stomach gets the warm fuzzies. I'm not an athlete, but these are my dreams." Having already visited Vancouver for meetings, she says the city is a sight to see. Leaving the airport, she says, the Olympic rings are set up as big and bright as possible. "Knowing that you are going to be able to be a part of this amazing event that is going to see people achieving their goals and dreams...is almost overwhelming," she said. But that's not stopping Currie, whose suitcases are already half packed. "I'm over the moon, really," she says. Looking back, Currie had no idea that working for the recreation department in a Northern Manitoba city would get her to where she is today. "Had I not had someone who put the passion in me about sport and had I not had the opportunity to start locally, I would not be here today," she says. "It's important to really grasp the opportunities that are given to you along the way. Whatever they are, pursue them." Currie calls herself an "Olympic junkie" and can't get enough of the action. She says ever since watching the Olympics in Montreal in 1976, she has glued herself to the television to take in all of the sports. While in Vancouver, Currie hopes to be able to take in an event or two, but is unsure if that will happen yet. Her best odds, she says, will be watching long track speed skating Ð as the house is just a dash away from the track.
