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Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Object ID |
2016.2.4 |
Object Name |
Video Recording |
Title |
Sue Holloway Interview |
Interview Summary / Résumé d'entrevue |
Sue Holloway, Order of Sport recipient, inducted in 2016, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, recalls growing up in Ottawa and training for competitive kayaking and cross-country skiing. Sue recounts the 1976 and 1984 Olympic Games and explains how the 1980 Olympic Games Boycott affected her. Sue talks about goal-setting, the importance of physical activity for youth, having supporters, balance in life, and recalls a time when she failed. The natural amenities in Ottawa meant she could paddle in the Rideau River and ski in the Gatineau hills. Sue discusses how negatively impactful the boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games was to her, missing out on being Canada's Flag Bearer and reversing her decision to retire. Sue also talks about being the first female athlete to compete in both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games and explains that she made compromises to compete in both. She describes winning the Olympic medals as the highlight of her career and walking into the stadium as part of Team Canada during the Opening Ceremony. Sue talks about post-retirement, coaching youth, and how she set up a career-planning program for Team Canada athletes. Sue emphasizes the importance of sport for youth and recalls how she joined the swim team in high school and failed. Sue also talks about goal setting and how she prepared for race day. Entrevue avec Sue Holloway, 2016. MP4 d'origine numérique, temps de visionnement : 00:37:22. Sue Holloway, récipiendaire de l'Ordre du sport, a été intronisée en 2016 et est née à Halifax, en Nouvelle-Écosse. Elle se souvient de son enfance à Ottawa et du temps passé à s'entraîner pour les compétitions de canoë-kayak et de ski de fond. Elle relate les événements des Jeux olympiques de 1976 et de 1984 et explique comment le boycott des Jeux olympiques de 1980 l'a affectée. Elle parle de l'importance de se fixer des objectifs, de l'activité physique pour les jeunes, de compter sur l'appui des autres, de maintenir une vie équilibrée et raconte un moment où elle a échoué. Les atouts naturels de la région d'Ottawa faisaient en sorte qu'elle pouvait pagayer dans la rivière Rideau et skier dans les collines de la Gatineau. Elle discute plus en détails de l'impact négatif qu'a eu sur elle le boycott des Jeux olympiques de 1980, comment elle a ainsi raté l'occasion d'être la porte-drapeau du Canada et comment elle a ensuite annulé sa décision de prendre sa retraite après ces Jeux. Sue parle également de son expérience à titre de première athlète féminine à prendre part aux compétitions des Jeux olympiques d'été et des Jeux olympiques d'hiver. Elle explique qu'elle a dû faire des compromis pour pouvoir faire cela. Elle dit que remporter ses médailles olympiques a été le point le plus marquant de sa carrière et elle parle du moment où elle est entrée dans le stade avec les autres membres d'Équipe Canada lors des cérémonies d'ouverture. Sue parle de l'après-retraite, de son expérience d'entraîneure avec les jeunes et explique comment elle a mis sur pied un programme de planification de carrière pour les athlètes d'Équipe Canada. Sue souligne l'importance du sport pour les jeunes et se rappelle d'avoir essayé de se joindre à l'équipe de natation de son école secondaire mais d'avoir échoué. Sue parle également de comment elle se fixait des objectifs et comment elle se préparait pour sa journée de compétition. |
Scope & Content |
Sue Holloway interview, 2016. Born digital MP4, viewing time 00:37:22. 00:00:26Sue Holloway - she was put in sports by her parents because she was a "hyperactive child"; her mother was a Physical Education teacher so physical activity was part of their lifestyle; she was full of energy as a child and her mother would sometimes tell her to go out and run around the house five times 00:01:20She participated in a lot of different activities including dance, swimming, and gymnastics; her brother participated in judo so she wanted to do that as well; she wanted to pursue judo but there were not a lot of opportunities for competition for girls at the time 00:02:19She started skiing when she was around seven years old because that was her family's preferred winter activity; she did not particularly enjoy downhill skiing, but at the age of ten she was introduced to cross country skiing; the idea of being able to go wherever she wanted without having to stand in line and wait for other people appealed to her; when Sue and her father were buying their skis from Bruce Heggtveit, Anne Heggtveit's uncle, her father told her that if she wanted to, she could make it to the Olympics; Bruce Heggtveit agreed and told her that she just had to work hard and really want it; Sue did not think much of it because she was just ten years old at the time 00:04:09She started kayaking as training for skiing; kayaking suited her and she decided to pursue it as well 00:04:43Her biggest challenges in her career as an athlete: it was "quite remarkable" how smooth things went for her at the start of her career; she feels very fortunate to have amazing parents who were very supportive of her and believed in her 00:05:32The challenges came later on in her career; Canada was one of the 65 countries that boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games; at that time, she felt she was at her peak in her performance at 25 years old; to have the opportunity to step on the podium snatched away from her because of political interference was devastating for her 00:07:22She was supposed to be the Canada's flag bearer at the 1980 Summer Olympic Games and to miss that opportunity was very distressing and upsetting for her; "The whole experience of having something you wanted and you worked so hard for just taken away with having no control and no capacity to have any influence at all, was just really wrong and so, so destroying and devastating, so you learn from it" 00:08:15It took her two years to decide that she still wanted to go on; she had plans to retire after the 1980 Olympic Games and she did not really think to go on for four more years 00:09:34Sue was the first woman in the world to compete in both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games; she competed at the 1976 Innsbruck Olympic Winter Games, and then again at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games 00:10:32On her greatest accomplishment in her career: she considers her Olympic medals to be the highlight of her career; "Standing on the podium, there is nothing like it" 00:12:43On focusing on two different sports: she chose to do both sports and there were compromises made in terms of her preparation but she knew that was what she wanted to do 00:14:39Immediately after retiring from competition, she worked for the Canadian Olympic Committee and there she designed the Athlete Services, which was a program that helped athletes across Canada with their careers outside of sports 00:18:21She has been involved in advocating active lifestyle for children; she believes that children should be exposed to sports and physical activity at a young age because recent statistics have shown that girls who have not been active by the age of ten are highly unlikely to ever be active in their life 00:20:30As a volunteer, she helps in giving children a positive sport experience in terms of competition and their involvement in sport clubs; she also teaches skiing to little children and she likes to ensure that all of them have a great time; "If they never enjoy the sport, they will never become a high performance athlete" 00:21:59Values that were most important in her journey: "For me, the most important value is fun. For me everything has to be fun. Life is too short not to be enjoying yourself"; "I don't always see fun as laughing…fun is figuring out how good you can be and testing yourself, and seeing what your limits are. To me, that is just a blast. I love finding out what I can do"; "You have to try, and yes you are going to fall, but everybody falls…all those who have been successful have fallen more times than they have soared": "Everyone respects an effort" 00:26:10Lessons or message that could help youth in their life today: "The message that I always promote with kids is to give it a try…and every time you fall down, get back up and try again, and believe that the possibilities are unlimited" 00:28:34What it means to her to be inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame: "It is a huge honour to be inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. To be members with these other people that have either been my peers who I admire or people that have I have grown up admiring and looking up to. Canada has such a rich history in sport. I think it is absolutely essential that we celebrate it and make sure that everyone is aware and knows who these wonderful people are, and I am truly honoured to be considered among them and to be part of this wonderful, wonderful institution." |
Date |
2016/07/13 |
Year Range from |
1976 |
Year Range to |
1984 |
People |
Holloway, Sue |
Search Terms |
Sue Holloway Canoe/Kayak Sprint Interview Women in Sport Canadian Olympic Committee 1976 Innsbruck Olympic Winter Games 1976 Montreal Olympic Games 1980 Olympic Games 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games |