Andrew Haley: From Battling Cancer & Losing a Leg to Canadian Olympic Glory | Ep.90 - Gent's Talk

[00:00:00] I felt that, you know, with one leg in a stump that people would look at me and they

[00:00:04] would judge me different.

[00:00:05] You know, I wasn't the prototypical human being with two arms and two legs.

[00:00:10] So if somebody would look at me and go, oh, you poor thing.

[00:00:13] And I didn't want their pity.

[00:00:30] A space for men to have conversations without being judged and seen as weak or less manly

[00:00:42] because you express a vulnerability or something that happened in your life, I think a place

[00:00:49] or a space like that was sorely needed.

[00:00:50] It's changed a lot.

[00:00:52] Like even like I think what I read something today like bells let's talk is this week.

[00:00:56] Yeah, I think it's like the 31st or so.

[00:00:58] Yeah.

[00:00:59] So the whole astigmatism about it's okay to not be okay.

[00:01:03] Yeah.

[00:01:04] It's way different now than in my day it was like, you don't feel well?

[00:01:08] You're not feeling good?

[00:01:09] Getting the pool and do it.

[00:01:11] Like it just literally was kind of not to that extent entirely but we've certainly evolved

[00:01:17] from, it's okay to show weakness because that doesn't necessarily mean that you're less

[00:01:21] of a man.

[00:01:22] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:01:23] Well, I mean on that topic Andrew Haley, welcome to the Gents Talk Podcast.

[00:01:27] Thanks.

[00:01:28] It's great to be here.

[00:01:30] Why don't we start with the backstory?

[00:01:32] How did, let's talk about you, how did it all start your gold medalist which is incredible

[00:01:40] and I saw that you brought them with you so at some point I'm going to want to see those

[00:01:43] bad boys.

[00:01:44] Yeah, sure.

[00:01:45] But yeah, what's the, for those who don't know your story, walk us through it.

[00:01:52] I would say it's kind of an everyday kid.

[00:01:55] I was six years old.

[00:01:56] I was playing with my twin brother.

[00:01:58] I'm from Nova Scotia originally and I fell one night playing and parents took me to

[00:02:04] hospital, did some tests in North Sydney and ultimately I had osteogenics for coma.

[00:02:09] Those people that are listening, that are aware of medical terms it's basically bone cancer.

[00:02:15] Same bone cancer that Terry Fox had so it was a rough start.

[00:02:20] Doctors gave me a 35% chance to beat it and luckily enough I did.

[00:02:25] And then I thought I was free and cleared, lead the hospital and then I had lung cancer.

[00:02:30] So it was another 35% chance to beat that.

[00:02:32] Of course I did that and then went on to play different sports, tried to be as athletics

[00:02:38] I possibly could obviously at the point in time I lost part of my right leg to the cancer

[00:02:44] and then continued on to where I found swimming at age 15 and that completely changed my

[00:02:49] life.

[00:02:51] I see somebody with a disability or how I see opportunities and I went after it and turned

[00:02:56] out to be as you mentioned not just a gold medal career but a Hall of Fame swimming career.

[00:03:00] So really proud of the accomplishments that I had during my life.

[00:03:04] Wow.

[00:03:05] What was it like being we've had on a few guests who've talked about overcoming a cancer diagnosis

[00:03:14] but they were a bit older, had matured might not be the right word but maybe mentally

[00:03:20] like they were a bit wiser.

[00:03:23] When you're a child and that happens do you remember at all what was going through your

[00:03:27] mind?

[00:03:28] Not entirely because I think you're so focused on trying to survive.

[00:03:32] I think back of those days and people would say to me, Andrew you're so lucky that you

[00:03:38] were able to survive and I say I was lucky but the real people that are the heroes here

[00:03:43] my mom and dad and all the mums and dads that are listening to this I have to deal with

[00:03:47] some sort of medical diagnosis for their kids because it's hard being the kid in the situation

[00:03:52] but imagine being the parent in that situation and trying to deal with that diagnosis.

[00:03:56] So we just fought.

[00:03:58] My mom and dad actually held with held the cancer diagnosis from my lung from me because

[00:04:04] at that particular point in time we were trying to get as much hope as possible.

[00:04:08] You know, outside love, hope is the most powerful word in the English dictionary and my mom

[00:04:12] and I gave that to me because they didn't tell me and we just fought like hell to be able

[00:04:16] to survive.

[00:04:19] And then I think I just went back to normal kind of life.

[00:04:23] Doctors told me taking a year to learn how to ride a bike, I learned in a week.

[00:04:26] I just tried to be as normal as I possibly could knowing that I was different in a small

[00:04:31] town with one leg and the cancer diagnosis behind me and trying to survive and trying

[00:04:36] to be accepted.

[00:04:38] You know, I think it's different to have the disease and have it going on but as a kid

[00:04:41] as you mentioned, to be accepted as that kid with one leg and not be laughed at, not

[00:04:46] be looked at and not get the weird stare in the swim change room or some sort of change

[00:04:51] room.

[00:04:52] It is it was difficult.

[00:04:54] It was difficult back then and I was lucky to be able to get through it to who I am today.

[00:05:00] How long between the bone cancer and the lung cancer?

[00:05:05] The lung cancer was October 1980 and the leg cancer was October 1980 and then the lung

[00:05:15] cancer came about a year and four months after that.

[00:05:18] So I had fought all 1981 to be able to survive the leg only to have it reared in early 1982.

[00:05:27] So it was a long time ago clearly but it was no less of a struggle.

[00:05:32] I mean obviously advances in modern medicine may make it so I may not have lost my leg at

[00:05:38] this day and age in 2024.

[00:05:41] But back then, it was a necessary evil to be able to save my life but it was coming at

[00:05:46] me fast and furious.

[00:05:47] I was trying to continue grades and not fail a year because of everything going on in

[00:05:52] my life trying to be as normal as possible as normal as possible meant having bedsheets

[00:05:57] from home pillowcases from home.

[00:06:00] Because in my hospital room that reminded me of home trying to normalize this monster

[00:06:05] as much as I could and that's what we did.

[00:06:07] We pulled out all the stops to be able to survive.

[00:06:10] Do you remember how you felt when you found out about the lung cancer?

[00:06:13] You said that your parents were trying to withhold that from you after overcoming the

[00:06:18] bone cancer and then getting to a point where now you have some idea essentially of what

[00:06:25] cancer is.

[00:06:28] When you found out there was around two, what was that like?

[00:06:32] I think it's what I used to do in my swimming career.

[00:06:35] Just people have a fight in them.

[00:06:37] I think that you often hear people say that you don't get something in life that God

[00:06:42] knows you can't handle and I think at that particular point in time I just was wanting

[00:06:47] to fight.

[00:06:48] I had a lot of good doctors and a lot of good nurses at the hospital in Halifax where I was

[00:06:52] being treated at the IWK and it was just one of those things where I just wanted to live.

[00:06:57] But at such a young age, I don't think you know the difference between living and dying.

[00:07:02] I don't think you know the difference between what's out there.

[00:07:04] You're not thinking ahead of going to university, having going dating, driving a car.

[00:07:10] You don't think about that stuff because you're so young but at the same time maybe there's

[00:07:13] this sort of psychological thing inside where you just want to be able to fight with everything

[00:07:18] that you have and the support network around me was allowing me to be able to do that.

[00:07:24] Obviously there's a lot of people probably tried to do the same that passed away and it

[00:07:27] was really, really a tough time because we would make friends with other parents, other

[00:07:33] kids, other patients and they wake up the next morning that passed away.

[00:07:37] It was an extremely humbling time but you just look out for number one to yourself

[00:07:43] and what you're doing and we were able to get through it.

[00:07:46] But then the real challenge for me, yes there was a challenge in trying to live but imagine

[00:07:51] that challenge when I'm walking out of the hospital room sort of with that artificial

[00:07:55] leg and a new perspective and different than everybody else.

[00:08:00] So in today's day and age people are accepted a lot more than they are in the early 80s

[00:08:04] and then at the same time you're hearing stories of Terry Fox and running across Canada

[00:08:08] and the marathon of hope and what he's doing.

[00:08:11] I went from a world of no cancer at all to a world that I didn't want to let that

[00:08:17] define me.

[00:08:18] When I went back home to North Sydney and I started my swimming career, I had an opportunity

[00:08:24] to either make something up myself or feel sorrow and pity and probably nobody would

[00:08:30] have blamed me for being negative outlook on the life.

[00:08:33] I chose to have a positive outlook on life.

[00:08:36] I chose to really go after my dreams and my goals and then when I hit swimming at 15, the

[00:08:42] whole world completely changed because I saw a level of humanity of people with no arms

[00:08:47] and no legs and this and the other thing that really brought me joy and that's what

[00:08:53] swimming did for me.

[00:08:54] How did you choose positivity in that situation?

[00:08:57] You made a very good point about how you had every excuse in the book to say, you know

[00:09:01] what?

[00:09:02] I'm going to feel sorry for myself.

[00:09:03] I'm not going to do anything.

[00:09:07] Rightfully so, this is my situation.

[00:09:10] I have no reason to try and make something of it.

[00:09:15] People have used less for more.

[00:09:18] How did you choose at such a young age though because you were essentially a teenager?

[00:09:23] How did you decide I'm going to make something out of this?

[00:09:27] What was the thought process there?

[00:09:28] I think a lot of it was intrinsic but a lot of it is who you're surround yourself

[00:09:32] with.

[00:09:33] My parents and my friends and my family, they're super, super supportive.

[00:09:37] A lot of times we go through situations where we don't have a lot of support of people

[00:09:42] around me.

[00:09:43] You probably have to stay away from those people.

[00:09:47] Life is negative enough that we need to be able to surround ourselves with people that

[00:09:50] are going to give us a positive influence.

[00:09:52] So I think from my perspective, like I said, a lot of it was an intrinsic motivation to see

[00:09:57] what else I could do.

[00:10:00] People are going to prove me wrong.

[00:10:01] Well, I'm going to prove you wrong because I'm going to do something that no one else can

[00:10:05] do.

[00:10:06] No one else has thought of.

[00:10:08] Nobody thought I would tell people one day I'm going to be a world champion.

[00:10:13] We're talking about a kid in North Sydney with a population at the time around 7500 people.

[00:10:19] This is relatable to all those other people watching.

[00:10:21] It doesn't matter if it's in Cape Brighton Island or Vancouver or Winnipeg or whatever.

[00:10:26] A people telling you know you can't do it.

[00:10:28] And it doesn't have to be swimming or something else.

[00:10:30] People will tell you know you can't do that.

[00:10:33] And I want to say that yes, you can do that.

[00:10:35] Yes, you can rise above.

[00:10:36] Yes, there's a reason.

[00:10:38] Everybody listening to this podcast, everybody that's around is an amazing person with an amazing

[00:10:42] story.

[00:10:43] And I just happened to want to be able to continue my amazing story and I wanted to show

[00:10:48] off what I could accomplish.

[00:10:50] But my accomplishments are no less different than a lot of other people who really want

[00:10:55] everything and their power to be able to overcome obstacles and overcome adversities.

[00:10:59] I just think that sometimes we let certain stances get us down and we need to be able

[00:11:04] to take a step back, breathe a little bit and say you know what?

[00:11:08] Yes, I've been dealt the wrong hand.

[00:11:09] Yes, I've been dealt.

[00:11:10] It's a raw deal but I'm going to not let that define me.

[00:11:13] I'm going to be better.

[00:11:14] I'm going to push harder.

[00:11:16] And if anybody wants to join me in the journey, I'd really appreciate the support.

[00:11:19] But any of the negative people I can do away with.

[00:11:21] I'm not going to let those people wavy down because I can be awesome and everybody can

[00:11:26] be that person.

[00:11:27] That's inspiring.

[00:11:28] That's great.

[00:11:29] That's great.

[00:11:30] I do it again.

[00:11:31] No, that's awesome.

[00:11:33] And like I think what's inspiring about it is that again, you had every excuse to call

[00:11:40] it quits and instead you go no screw this.

[00:11:42] I'm going to do something.

[00:11:43] I'm going to make something of myself.

[00:11:45] So when you when you decided that you were going to person like was it an obvious decision

[00:11:50] to jump into sports and swimming or was it kind of something you stumbled into and just

[00:11:54] you know, you fell in love.

[00:11:55] And like what was the moment there that made you think this was something I wanted to

[00:12:00] pursue?

[00:12:01] Yeah, I think I was always like an athletic person despite my disability.

[00:12:04] You know, I played golf and basketball and floor hockey.

[00:12:08] I was picked last for most of it all of it actually.

[00:12:12] But when I found swimming, the thing that clicked for me is I really hated people seeing

[00:12:16] me without my artificial leg on.

[00:12:19] Honestly, back then I really felt less of a person.

[00:12:22] I felt you didn't want them to see you without it without my artificial leg on because I

[00:12:27] felt that you know with one leg in a stump that people would look at me and they would

[00:12:31] they would judge me different.

[00:12:33] You know, I was I wasn't the prototypical human being with two arms and two legs.

[00:12:38] So if somebody would look at me and go, oh, you poor thing.

[00:12:40] And I didn't want their pity.

[00:12:42] So but then when I found swimming things changed because when I found the water and when

[00:12:47] I found what it did for me and that's no different than anybody listening who may love you

[00:12:51] know, dancing, chess, the question whatever the case may be.

[00:12:54] But for me, it was swimming.

[00:12:56] I felt that that was my oasis.

[00:12:59] That was where I could do something really, really well.

[00:13:02] And I felt really at home in the pool and to the point where having artificial leg off

[00:13:06] was as natural as I was going to get in any shape or form to what I was doing.

[00:13:12] So the journey that I started in the pool was really a legacy of love and it was a legacy

[00:13:18] of learning about myself.

[00:13:20] You know, will I accept people seeing me without my leg on in the most public area of life?

[00:13:28] I'm on television.

[00:13:30] I'm swimming against other athletes but people are accepting of the Paralympics way more

[00:13:34] nowadays than they did back then.

[00:13:36] They're accepting of people with a disability, not just physical but emotional and something

[00:13:42] that you can't see nowadays than they ever have been.

[00:13:46] So back in when I started swimming sort of in the early 90s it was a different ballgame

[00:13:51] but at some point I just felt I was in the right place at the right time to accomplish

[00:13:55] what I accomplished and like I said, I turned a lot of negativity in my life into amazing

[00:14:03] positivity.

[00:14:04] I was from the lowest of lows, you know like crash and burn outside the podium if you

[00:14:08] will for metaphorically speaking in life to the top of the podium.

[00:14:12] And that very first gold medal that I had when I was actually on the podium standing on

[00:14:16] top of the podium at the World Championships in 1998 is something that I'd always wanted

[00:14:20] to get after was a really special moment for me because I had so many bad moments to be

[00:14:26] able to stand and be the best in the world in my situation was a real tribute to what

[00:14:32] I had gone through but also for everybody that supported me to be able to get to that

[00:14:37] point.

[00:14:38] So I can't underestimate the power of a team together, everyone achieves more to be able

[00:14:42] to accomplish what you need to accomplish.

[00:14:44] What were those low moments?

[00:14:46] I have seen if I was there.

[00:14:51] You know the low moments of just I broke my leg one year, the stump inside my socket

[00:14:56] and I playing basketball with my brother and it took like four months of recovery was

[00:15:01] not able to get in the water or just having people look at me differently, being able

[00:15:08] to go into the swimming pool and the change room and having a little guy or girl whisper

[00:15:14] to mum or dad about there's a guy over there with one leg.

[00:15:17] I mean I face those whispers you know the opportunities of going to work when I was a

[00:15:23] little bit older in life and more mature and as you mentioned people get older and obviously

[00:15:27] hopefully more mature.

[00:15:28] Hopefully.

[00:15:29] But getting to the point where I'm on ice and I'm trying to walk and I've got people

[00:15:35] zooming by me and I'm really slow.

[00:15:39] These are things that happen now because of the one leg and I just think back to I think

[00:15:44] of those people that are zooming by me and think have they been on a top of a podium in their

[00:15:49] life.

[00:15:51] Many people out there would like to be top of any podium, let alone a sport podium, playing

[00:15:58] the piano podium, whatever your podium happens to be.

[00:16:01] So I think I've accomplished a few things in my life that nobody else is a very few of

[00:16:05] accomplished and that brings me some sort of joy so when I'm the guy going to work and

[00:16:11] it's icy outside in the middle of the winter and I'm going super slow because I don't want

[00:16:14] to fall and people are zooming by me.

[00:16:17] That's the perspective I take.

[00:16:18] I take the perspective of I've accomplished a lot of great things in my life.

[00:16:22] I'm not going to get everything.

[00:16:23] I'm not going to go skating on the Rita Canal in Ottawa.

[00:16:26] It's just not going to happen for me but there's other things that are going to happen

[00:16:30] for me and they're going to be amazing and that's how I live my life.

[00:16:34] What advice would you give to a new or a younger athlete or just a person who's currently

[00:16:43] battling a disability that is currently holding them back from becoming the best possible

[00:16:53] version of themselves?

[00:16:56] In those moments that you talk about where you are feeling low, they're currently in

[00:17:00] that moment right now.

[00:17:02] What would you say to them that might give them a path to come out of that?

[00:17:09] I think you've got to give yourself a break.

[00:17:12] We've got to stop thinking that there's people out there that are going to conspire

[00:17:16] to want to keep you down.

[00:17:19] Think about how many people are supporting you.

[00:17:22] Think about how many people have your back.

[00:17:25] Sometimes we go through situations where when we do something, we figure out what's at

[00:17:31] stake.

[00:17:32] I'm going to race this race and then if I did to qualify it or something happens my life's

[00:17:37] over.

[00:17:39] What I want that person out there that's listening to feel is I want them to take stock of what

[00:17:44] is not at stake here and what's not at stake is their mom or dad, their grandparents,

[00:17:49] their dog, their best friends.

[00:17:53] The people they meet at the grocery store that will say hello to them every time they

[00:17:56] go get groceries.

[00:17:57] Those are the things that are not at stake.

[00:17:59] If you can take a look at your life and think that's not at stake, that will allow you to

[00:18:04] open up to others and be able to want to do more because you have that rock.

[00:18:08] You have that foundation of people that are really going to support you.

[00:18:13] Certainly in life there's people who will feel defeated and feel failure.

[00:18:18] I want those people to never feel defeated because once you feel defeated, you're probably

[00:18:23] going to stop and you're going to feel sorry for yourself and you're not going to want

[00:18:26] to do that.

[00:18:28] If you feel failure, that's okay.

[00:18:30] It's okay to feel failure because failure is just a process towards something amazing.

[00:18:38] I want them to really listen to the words that they can be amazing in life and stop

[00:18:46] listening to others who tell them they can't be amazing.

[00:18:48] Stop listening to others who are trying to get them down and start really surrounding

[00:18:52] yourself with positive people.

[00:18:55] There is stories throughout history of people who really want to accomplish actions like

[00:19:00] I did.

[00:19:02] They're never going to be Andrew Haley.

[00:19:04] There's only one of those but they can be whoever they are and they can be amazing

[00:19:08] at what they're doing and stop comparing yourselves to what other people may have done

[00:19:13] or didn't do and start comparing yourself with what is your why?

[00:19:17] What is your path to success?

[00:19:20] Sometimes it starts slowly.

[00:19:24] Have some small wins and those small wins green into bigger wins and bigger wins after

[00:19:29] that.

[00:19:30] I think gradually if you can take some small wins and gain momentum in your life, that will

[00:19:35] help you get out of whatever you're potentially going to get into.

[00:19:39] The reality is above all we just need that level of positivity in our life, that internal

[00:19:45] positivity that you can accomplish excellence and you can accomplish greatness.

[00:19:49] I'm here to tell you based on my own story.

[00:19:51] I know you can and who's ever listening to this and is in that situation, I wish you a

[00:19:55] ton of luck and I know you can do it and you have my support.

[00:19:59] What's your why?

[00:20:02] My why is to be the best role model I can from my kids and I have two.

[00:20:07] My daughter Christians 13 and my son Christopher is seven but I want them to look back and

[00:20:15] know that they can accomplish great things.

[00:20:17] I finished my MBA last year and thanks.

[00:20:21] I'm going to be going to convocations and queens in June and I want them to know that

[00:20:27] even though I didn't need to take it, even though it was a pain and what to be able to

[00:20:31] go through that process for a year.

[00:20:33] It's a pain in the ass.

[00:20:37] It's pain in the ass but it was something that I always wanted to do.

[00:20:43] You're never too old to be able to do that.

[00:20:45] That's what I kind of took stock in the fact that it's like, I'm going to go after this

[00:20:49] because it's something that I always wanted to do and I want to show my kids.

[00:20:52] I want to show others that despite life's challenges, despite life getting you down in

[00:20:58] some cases, if we really want something in life, go after it.

[00:21:03] Like I did with the MBA, like I did with the swimming.

[00:21:05] Like I do with my motivational speaking, I want to be able to be that person that others

[00:21:10] can look to for inspiration so then they can go out and then they can be amazing.

[00:21:15] Most people are literally all around us but I think you really need to look inward

[00:21:20] to say like, what do I want to do?

[00:21:22] So my why is to be there for my kids and be the most influential person I can be for

[00:21:26] others around me to be able to prop up them in businesses and whatnot.

[00:21:30] But for them, I want them to know that they're why is just to live and to feel that they

[00:21:36] have meaning.

[00:21:38] And if you feel you have meaning and you're ready to go then you can accomplish some really

[00:21:41] great things.

[00:21:42] Like I do with the internal belief in their selves.

[00:21:45] You mentioned the MBA.

[00:21:46] Yeah, what's the story there?

[00:21:49] Ever since I like so I took a bachelor's degree at Del Hausy when I was obviously many

[00:21:54] years younger and I always wanted to get that master's degree in business.

[00:22:01] And then I started into obviously the I had started swimming into them but I wanted

[00:22:07] to I started working full time for the Toronto Blue Jays.

[00:22:10] I was here in Toronto that went on for many years until I switched but I always came back

[00:22:15] to the fact that it was sort of a box left unchecked in terms of what I wanted to accomplish.

[00:22:20] I knew it wasn't going to be hard or sorry, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, anything

[00:22:24] but easy.

[00:22:26] But it was one of those things where I was willing to dig deep put in the effort despite

[00:22:31] having full time job speaking you know kids whatever and go after it.

[00:22:37] And I'm so thrilled that I was able to persevere through those moments and I think everybody

[00:22:43] out there listening I want them to know that it's never too late to go after something.

[00:22:48] You may have kids you may have a life you may have things going on why can't you be a

[00:22:52] triathlete?

[00:22:53] You know why can't you learn the piano?

[00:22:54] Why can't you learn another language?

[00:22:57] You know stop making excuses for yourself why you can't do that start making plans for

[00:23:00] yourself why you're going to go after your own goal mental moment.

[00:23:04] And if you have that goal mental moment, you're going to feel a lot better.

[00:23:08] You know sometimes I think of ourselves as having our own personal book and every day

[00:23:13] in our lives a new page is written in this book.

[00:23:16] And my kids down the road ever read my book.

[00:23:19] I don't want my book to say that I quit on my dreams I quit on my goals.

[00:23:23] I took the easy road out.

[00:23:26] I want them to read my metaphorical book here and say Andrew had a choice to make he had

[00:23:32] a choice to make up taking the NBA or not taking the NBA of going after everything full

[00:23:37] force for world championships and be a world champion or just feeling sorry for themselves.

[00:23:42] So that's kind of how I live my life a little bit is to be able to show those around me

[00:23:48] that I made choices that wasn't the easiest of choices, but that's why they put somebody

[00:23:53] on the moon that's why there's so many other things that we've done in our lives that

[00:23:57] people go ah that that's great because people take chances and I was wanting to took

[00:24:02] those chances.

[00:24:03] Talk to me about that gold medal moment of yours.

[00:24:06] Can we bring them out?

[00:24:09] So I'm going to so it's going to be so basically what happened was I had started my career

[00:24:18] because I wanted to I'd always said myself I was going to be a world champion one day

[00:24:23] and world championships for four years.

[00:24:25] So this is back in 1991 I wanted to be a world champion one day.

[00:24:30] 1994 I went to my first second world championships.

[00:24:33] I went three bronze medals still great but it wasn't gold medals and then after that

[00:24:40] I went to World Championships 1998 and so I'm 100 meter butterfly and I won.

[00:24:45] And then from the so after winning you know so after winning I got this medal and then

[00:24:54] it's small it's not like much to it but in the back of it it says Andrew Hayley 100 meter

[00:24:58] fly October 14th and then word finally.

[00:25:02] And because the first word I said after I won the race and I saw the scoreboard was finally

[00:25:07] on World Champion.

[00:25:08] You know finally shoving the snow off the car and day is like you know snow days in the

[00:25:12] winter times whatever those are the moments where you really have to dig deep and the

[00:25:16] reality is to win this medal or when the gold medal the Paralympic medal a lot of things

[00:25:23] you know people don't realize but training you have to go through a lot of boring because

[00:25:29] the boring is moments where you need to hone your craft.

[00:25:33] You're practicing in those mornings the lights aren't on when I talk about lights I'm not

[00:25:37] talking about physical lights I'm talking about the lights of of stardom the lights of

[00:25:41] the big meets the world championships the Paralympics those are the end result of what

[00:25:46] you're doing in the moment at your particular venue of choice in terms of training to be

[00:25:53] able to get to the point where you're on the blocks and you have no regrets whatsoever.

[00:25:57] So when you dive in the pool and you're able to you know finish so then you win a gold

[00:26:02] medal like this in Sydney Australia and the relay and set a world record on the last night

[00:26:07] of competition with three amazing other athletes on my team those are the moments where

[00:26:12] you can look back at all the training sick that was worth it but that is nine that's

[00:26:17] one percent of the time if one percent of the time the other 99 percent of the time

[00:26:21] you are slugging away you know your your your curse in your coaches your physio chiro like

[00:26:28] all those things going in to trying to be the best you can eating properly and then finally

[00:26:34] you get that moment in your life and so I would ask that question to people listening is if

[00:26:38] you have a moment that came up to you and opportunity knocked and you can walk through the door

[00:26:45] to that opportunity would you be ready for it would you be ready mentally and physically

[00:26:50] to be able to walk through that door for opportunity whatever that opportunity is you know so

[00:26:55] for me the opportunity for me was to be able to go through and and train and be the best I could

[00:27:01] be in that particular moment and be able to have you know multiple medals that I can now share with

[00:27:08] you know speaking audiences my kids whatever the case may be is it's amazing to be able to go

[00:27:13] through it but it's also amazing to be able to share it and I'm so lucky to be able to do that

[00:27:18] that finally moment that must have been I can't imagine how much was pent up waiting to be released

[00:27:28] that that sort of comes out just as you finally win that race yeah so bringing people back into the

[00:27:35] the situation for a moment so basically what happens is you go into the ready room and you show your

[00:27:40] credentials and you you get your lane so in this case I would have been in lane four as the fastest

[00:27:46] summer from the morning but there's nerves and if you didn't have nerve you wouldn't be human

[00:27:50] and your arms are going flailing and you're just you're just this nervous energy because this is

[00:27:56] the moment that I dreamt about for my whole you know for the last eight years since I started my

[00:28:01] swimming career and many athletes have succumbed to these moments right you you go out too fast you're

[00:28:07] at 80 meters and then all of a sudden you slowly see the other athletes pass you by and then they

[00:28:12] win the medals and you finish third fourth this six you're like you'll you'll lament the

[00:28:17] opportunity lost but in this particular case I put so much effort so much training into my mental

[00:28:24] aspect and and putting it all on the line in the pool at training so I knew when I got to that moment

[00:28:31] even though there's going to be heightened sense of whatever is just to keep it normal right the

[00:28:38] pools 50 meters I've got a 50 meter pool at home sure it's a different situation because it's all

[00:28:43] in the line but go back to what I said a little bit earlier what's not at stake and was able to focus

[00:28:48] on what's not at stake and be able to channel that that stress that that pressure into excitement

[00:28:54] and be able to go there and realize that I'm not the only one feeling this there's seven other

[00:28:59] athletes here they're probably feeling this so because we're probably all in the same situation

[00:29:04] the victor goes to spoils but also the victor goes the person who has be able to

[00:29:11] conceptualize what this means so I when I dove off the block I told myself I feel amazing

[00:29:17] the first few meters the first few strokes keep your stroke fast keep your stroke loose easy speed

[00:29:23] being able to go up the pool when I touched a 50 meter mark I took a quick glance of the scoreboard

[00:29:27] because it was right above me I knew I was leading but then I also knew that if I was leading I had

[00:29:32] the best last 50 in the whole pool and I felt a lot of confidence and not let other people's race pattern

[00:29:39] dictate what I was going to do you know that's a key consideration of of being a performance you

[00:29:44] almost have to block out what the others are doing otherwise you're stuck in your brain doesn't matter

[00:29:47] they're going faster this one's going better whatever yeah because reality is they could be swimming

[00:29:53] and then not covering their race plan and I could get off my race plan and then it just doesn't

[00:29:59] work you know any swimmer out there will tell you to keep your own race plan so I did that and when

[00:30:04] I was able to touch that like you mentioned that moment that finally moment and was able to get

[00:30:08] it engraved at the pool keep my metal close being able to watch it because I wasn't going to let it

[00:30:13] on my site you know it was just it was just a really great time and then a few days later we were

[00:30:19] able to take home a gold medal as well in the relay so I was able to win two gold medals but

[00:30:24] they but I mean obviously being able to win an individual gold medal is just validation for all

[00:30:29] the validation for everything I didn't have anybody helping me you know being able to to go the time

[00:30:34] I did I think it was a Canadian record of the time wasn't a world record but that was fine right you

[00:30:40] know remember the winners so and having that in my back pocket to know that after everything that I

[00:30:46] went through all the the cancer diagnosis all the bad moments everything else to be able to have

[00:30:52] that one moment to finally win that's a special word for me were your parents able to see that

[00:31:00] uh no so they they went to other competitions but it was in Christchurch New Zealand um so it's

[00:31:07] pretty far and they went to they they saw the gold they saw the the world they saw the gold medal

[00:31:12] at the Paralympics which is this medal but they didn't they didn't really have a tendency to go

[00:31:16] to world championships um Paralympics were the marquee event and you know it was every four years

[00:31:21] and the the the world championships every other two years right um but they didn't go to those those

[00:31:26] competitions what was the uh what was the first conversation with your parents like after winning gold

[00:31:32] well given the time zone difference it was you know it was quite difficult but I think you know

[00:31:36] being able to call them and share with them the the this the total excitement um of being

[00:31:43] able to do that and you know I was I planned on traveling around Australia for a few months after

[00:31:47] the fact in New Zealand s o th Island New Zealand as well so that was amazing um but I think having

[00:31:53] that phone call and sharing it with two people who would always supporting me whether it was

[00:31:56] emotionally or financially or you know fill in the blank um it was really really special also

[00:32:02] special the fact that bringing that back home to Nova Scotia uh a small province who you know

[00:32:08] people are struggling to you know you know compete and do well and there I am you know doing

[00:32:15] extremely well um and showing those with other disabilities that you know in a lot of cases

[00:32:22] the the limitations that we have on us is basically what we set on ourselves right

[00:32:27] not one other set on us the um the piece about being an Olympian and winning gold

[00:32:39] um I have a really really good friend right now who is in the process of trying to compete for

[00:32:47] the parasol Olympics in beach volleyball yeah uh he was on the podcast as well

[00:32:52] and uh one of the things that uh I've been thinking about more and more is you know for an

[00:32:59] Olympian just watching his journey seeing how he has to basically self fund a lot of his journey

[00:33:05] you know through either sponsorship or fundraising or just working jobs here and there

[00:33:10] and I'm just curious as someone who has made it to the top one the gold the sense I get from

[00:33:17] at least the Olympics in Canada for those athletes is that it's not necessarily it doesn't

[00:33:23] equate to a windfall or now you don't have to work anymore you essentially have to come down from

[00:33:28] that very high high and become a normal human pretty much what's that like um I mean it's all about

[00:33:39] you know a lot of cases I mean there's certain athletes in Canada who have the marquee value of name

[00:33:44] recognition they can probably get things covered um but a lot of us may not get to that point if

[00:33:50] you will um I remember back in 1992 when I went to my first Paralympic in Barcelona and the

[00:33:56] Olympic ring that I'm wearing that's what they gave us but I had to pay $250 for it

[00:34:01] I had to pay for something that was that was but me representing my country yeah fast-forwarded 1996

[00:34:08] we had to we stopped paying so it was a good deal um 1992 I paid $1,000 my parents paid

[00:34:15] $1,000 for me to compete at the at the Barcelona Paralympics I went up bronze medal brought home

[00:34:21] to Canada but I still had to pay the money right so we weren't financially sufficient then then

[00:34:25] later on we didn't have to pay you know fast forwarded now yes certainly that that story you just

[00:34:30] mentioned what your friend is not uncommon you know people will work odd jobs they'll do fun

[00:34:36] razors they'll they'll you know they get a lot of people at that level will get federally funded

[00:34:41] it's called carding so they will get about $18,000 tax free which is great but certainly if you're

[00:34:46] traveling like volleyball athlete travel to southern countries because you know they want nice weather

[00:34:53] while it's cold here in Canada um unless you're indoors but unless but this I'm suspect this person

[00:34:59] is probably a beach volleyball player so so you can't necessarily get the same mentality that you're

[00:35:05] going to get in a beach inside then you are going to do if you're in the beaches of Copic

[00:35:10] Abana for example where the games were held in 2016 and Rio so so it's a challenging situation

[00:35:16] where you don't want to rely on the Bank of Momma Dad you don't rely on loans but the face the

[00:35:20] fact of the matter is in Canada the majority of our Olympic and Paralympic athletes are faced with

[00:35:27] financial difficulties to compete for our country so when you watch them on TV and they do well

[00:35:34] there are so many other people to thank because they're not getting there alone because it is a

[00:35:39] journey to get there and if you can compete whatever that happens to be and the other thing is like

[00:35:44] sometimes like people will look at athletes you know our athletes or other athletes and say

[00:35:49] well that person only finished eighth or twelfth or fifteenth sure maybe they did but just to go

[00:35:56] just to go and compete is an enormous accomplishment and those athletes that can compete and thankfully

[00:36:03] our beach volleyball players are competitive in the world scene at least the last time I checked

[00:36:07] that hopefully those individuals will get the true recognition that they deserve regardless of

[00:36:13] their result. I think it's fascinating that we we seem to overlook so quickly how hard it is to

[00:36:21] get to the Olympics and we just criticize the athletes for not coming in first, second or third

[00:36:28] or even the ones that come in second and third we're like oh it's not gold. Yeah it's a weird

[00:36:34] weird place to be I imagine as an athlete on the receiving end of that you almost feel as if no

[00:36:38] matter what you do it's not enough unless you win gold and even then it's like well are you ready

[00:36:43] to win gold again? Yeah it's magnified from the Paralympic perspective because you know from

[00:36:48] an Olympic perspective if you win a medal you're being interviewed by you know the consortium that

[00:36:53] does the Olympics because you are celebrated because you're a medalist and sometimes fourth

[00:36:58] and I've been fourth many many times and fourth is not good you know so because you're so close

[00:37:04] but but you want to be able to this is not for lack of effort you know somebody who's

[00:37:09] fifth or sixth or seventh that's still a tremendous accomplishment and hopefully they're

[00:37:13] interviewed and hopefully they're celebrated in whatever the case may be but I look back and say

[00:37:17] like what are your goals? What did you want to accomplish? And did you accomplish what you

[00:37:22] wanted to accomplish? Regardless of what everybody else thinks you know we don't really who cares

[00:37:26] everybody else thinks what do you think? What is your support network thing? You know if you're in

[00:37:30] track and field and you're doing let's say shot put and the best Canadian result I don't know

[00:37:35] I'm making this up was let's say 25th in the world and you are 24th and you were the best Canadian

[00:37:41] shot put ever at the Olympics. Shouldn't that be celebrated but at the same time people look in

[00:37:46] the guy with the guys only 24th or the girls only 24th but that's it's things take progress.

[00:37:52] You know we were not super competitive I think in cross country skiing for a while until Becky

[00:37:56] Scott when I think it was a gold medal many years ago and now the sudden it's like oh okay can

[00:38:02] it can do well in cross country skiing because it because they're hurt right so I feel like it just

[00:38:07] takes the one to break that initial barrier yeah and then suddenly everyone else takes it more seriously

[00:38:13] is there what's the current I mean I don't know if you're still up to date with it but what is

[00:38:17] the current standing with the Olympic Committee in Canada and all those things in terms of you

[00:38:22] know supporting its athletes as they go through that process obviously we've got you know

[00:38:27] the next games are the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. You know as an athlete or someone who's

[00:38:34] in the process of competing to get on that on that stage you know are they like is there support

[00:38:42] mechanisms are they better today than they were back then or is there still room to grow like where

[00:38:47] are we in that sense I think there's always room to grow I think corporate Canada could probably

[00:38:51] step up a little bit more than they have but you know that it's there's there it's only the pies

[00:38:56] only so much for a lot of these lot of these companies right. On the podium is there right now which

[00:39:01] helps athletes you know get to that next level like I said the federal funded program the sports

[00:39:07] organizations help in a lot of the more wealthier sport organizations like swimming Canada will do a lot

[00:39:12] pay for a lot of the expenses when we were we were swimming versus some other like like watersky

[00:39:17] Canada you may not have as much funding because it's based on Olympic results, Paralympic results

[00:39:22] and they may not be there so that's that's the challenge sometimes that's why sometimes sports

[00:39:27] fights so hard to be included in the Paralympic program because in cases like Canada you can get

[00:39:31] funding because you are a part of the Paralympic or Olympic program. So it's just it's just a constant

[00:39:37] battle but ultimately the thing that wins out over money if you can do it is passion you know if we

[00:39:44] have that passion you know every athlete that our competing for Canada has a passion

[00:39:49] regardless of finances to be able to do what they can do and I know there's athletes who are

[00:39:54] taking it loans and traveling and you know if you're a speed skater you're traveling all over the

[00:39:59] place right you need to go and compete you need to compete with the best so you can potentially one

[00:40:04] day beat the best right it's not just gonna you're not just gonna compete in Canada even though

[00:40:08] the best may be in Canada and that's it you need that experience. You need exposure to the other

[00:40:14] players. You need the exposure to the other players can you just need to be able to learn so I think

[00:40:19] for me when I was younger I mean I got lucky because yeah I had to pay a little bit but some

[00:40:24] Canada took care of its athletes and being able to go to those different competitions and being

[00:40:30] able to see the different athletes gave me a lot more pep in my step or confidence because of

[00:40:37] the one leg I came back and I'm being celebrated and be like oh yeah I do have one leg. Yeah I

[00:40:42] am I do have a disability yes I am a Paralympic athlete being proud of it right whereas before

[00:40:48] it was like you kind of kind of say I'm Olympic athlete. I'm not an Olympic athlete I have a

[00:40:55] disability so I'm a Paralympic athlete but at the same time the moto and the drive exactly

[00:41:02] the same as those individuals so I can completely relate to somebody's quest for excellence

[00:41:07] comedies quest for being the best they can be their own gold medal moment whatever the happens

[00:41:11] to be in Paris this summer because I love performance and I love some I love stories about how

[00:41:19] somebody's overcome the odds to be able to be where they are whether that could be fourth but you

[00:41:26] know so it's an amazing stuff. What's the difference what's the biggest difference right now between

[00:41:31] the Olympic process and the Paralympic process if you're an athlete

[00:41:39] vying for a spot in the Olympics versus an athlete vying for a spot in the Paralympics what would

[00:41:45] you notice the most? Can't come in at all sports because I don't know entirely every sport

[00:41:51] but I'll comment on at least in swimming stakes and I'm sure it's the case for a lot of other sports

[00:41:57] they will hold a dual championship so let's say that the Pan Am Sports Center or the Olympic

[00:42:03] pool in Montreal or Victoria, San Isch, Commonwealth pool in Victoria and Victoria are holding the

[00:42:09] trials they will be at the same time they will announce the the Olympic team as a nomination

[00:42:14] ratified by the the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee

[00:42:18] they'll nominate their athletes at that ticker competition so I think that's a really really

[00:42:23] inclusive sport organization. Not every organization has the opportunity to be able to do something

[00:42:28] like that I know Track does does it as well so that's really cool I mean obviously you're not going

[00:42:33] to be able to do rugby I mean we have real-chare rugby and regular rugby you're not going to have

[00:42:37] those at the exact same time it's just physically not going to work but I think as we continue moving

[00:42:43] ahead and think as acceptance happens a lot of those sport organizations are going to realize

[00:42:48] that there's value in athletes and performance and great performance and whether that comes from

[00:42:54] an Paralympic athlete or an Olympic athlete performance is performance and I think that's where a

[00:42:59] lot of the leaders of sport organizations have sort of they're hitting the mark. Is there a disadvantage

[00:43:04] for Paralympians? In terms of like the the actual process to becoming a Paralympian like is it

[00:43:12] a harder process for for Paralympians versus Olympians? I guess I'm trying to understand if there's

[00:43:17] a difference in the and like the trajectory or the pathway to getting to the Olympics. Yeah I think

[00:43:22] it's harder for Paralympians to a certain case because consider if you're blind and you're trying

[00:43:27] to swim in a pool with other athletes. If you're sighted you can seamlessly fit into that like

[00:43:33] idea for many many years but if you're blind you need somebody to tap you at one end, tap you at

[00:43:38] the other end you know you can't judge people going by you as you used to you need more time you

[00:43:45] may sway a little bit in the pool so it's difficult for those types of individuals. The other thing is

[00:43:50] that you know there's the doubt from a Paralympic athlete can I do this am I good enough for this?

[00:43:54] Like so sure Olympic athletes have doubts too but the Paralympic athlete you know they're willing

[00:44:00] to put themselves out there. Do they even know Paralympic sport exists? You know I fell into it because

[00:44:05] my aunt knew the national coach who got me involved you know there's other stories that I know

[00:44:10] of personally of people who are just doing physiorehab and found out about it by complete fluke

[00:44:17] so there's athletes out there who just don't know about it. There's athletes out there who are from

[00:44:20] a small town like I was who don't have facilities that can help those individuals right or they're in

[00:44:28] a team sport like say wheelchair curling and they need their teammates to be able to help them

[00:44:33] do what they need to do. They need a team to play to challenge themselves in terms of how different

[00:44:39] scenarios work out right so that the team games a little bit different than the individual game.

[00:44:45] What if you can go back in time and give younger Andrew one piece of advice knowing everything

[00:44:52] you know today what would that piece of advice be? Do things with a smile on your face

[00:44:59] and never stop believing that you can be be great despite circumstances and um you know I kind

[00:45:08] of do that a little bit because I have a seven step process that I kind of use throughout my career

[00:45:12] that that kept me on the on the straight and narrow including take your break before you break.

[00:45:19] You know it's going keep going you know like and the other thing is like

[00:45:25] I have this thing back in my mind that throughout my career was and I think this is relevant for a lot

[00:45:30] of people so back in 1992 around 1992 I'm sure somebody would probably correct me but the ESPN

[00:45:38] awards the ESPN awards and there was a coach named Jimmy Valvano and he was from Rutgers basketball

[00:45:44] and he was dying of cancer head cancer all throughout his body and he was announcing his Jimmy V

[00:45:49] foundation on this particular broadcast and I just started my swimming career and I was very

[00:45:53] influential on on really cool things and he said at the end of it you know with with Winston

[00:46:01] Dean Bradth he said don't give up don't ever give up and he was saying that not because of the

[00:46:05] cancer saying that because of the situation to advance cancer, advance cancer research don't give

[00:46:11] up in your dreams don't give up in your goals so in my seven step process I put don't give one of

[00:46:17] them was don't give up don't ever give up and it wasn't a nod necessarily to him it was a nod to

[00:46:24] I had cancer once I'm not giving up because I have too much to live for don't give don't ever give

[00:46:29] up the second half of it I had cancer twice in lung cancer and don't let that get me on because I

[00:46:35] had so much to live for so the other big moments in my life where I would be you know defeated not

[00:46:40] defeated but like feeling the failure I always forth or I got to qualify or whatever and then

[00:46:45] go back to the seventh step process and I think I can't I defeated cancer twice like there has to

[00:46:53] be some value there there has to be some meaning there there has to be something to push me forward

[00:46:57] there has to be something there than in bad times I mean comparatively speaking to the cancer

[00:47:03] not really bad and that and that was the point right is to say to myself Andrew you can't you

[00:47:09] accomplished great things here you know you overcame something that maybe not a lot of people

[00:47:14] overcome especially with 35% chance to live and that's what drove me forward and so I would

[00:47:19] I would really recommend people listening to this and you can hit me up no problem social like

[00:47:24] help you help but is to be able to to always go after what you want to go after but what that

[00:47:32] goes back to the why like don't give up on yourself don't give up on yourself where you are uh

[00:47:39] 17 years old 16 years old and you know you need to train the next morning and somebody says

[00:47:45] to you hey Andrew you want to go to the dance I'm Friday night at high school and like

[00:47:48] you know what I really would but I'm gonna miss workouts one morning I you know that's okay

[00:47:52] I don't mind missing workout for the dance I never did that because I always felt that if I did

[00:47:58] that somebody else in the world was in the pool that Saturday morning and they were going

[00:48:02] better than me and I never wanted them to be better than me and that's that's that's the mentality

[00:48:08] that I took and that's why I never missed a workout because I would feel that I was a little bit

[00:48:12] behind everybody else and when I got to the podium sorry when I got to the the blocks I made sure

[00:48:18] that every possible point in my life that led to success was going to be there or I was going to

[00:48:26] end up trying wow that's incredible and we thank you so much that was great I love this is

[00:48:32] amazing to be here thank you oh thank you um I think the thing that resonates with me the most is

[00:48:36] that comment you made I think towards the beginning of this conversation about when you're walking

[00:48:42] and it's particularly I see outside and people are speeding by you and for a moment you're letting

[00:48:48] yourself think you know what what you know they're all walking faster than me I'm just struggling

[00:48:52] to make sure I stay on balance and then it's that one tiny reminder I'm a gold medalist

[00:48:59] you've accomplished so much and I think it's such a powerful message because it's a reminder that

[00:49:07] comparing yourself to other people and what they're doing will never lead you down

[00:49:13] to pass of any kind of happiness you'll always find someone doing something different than you

[00:49:19] that you're going to want and it gets then you down the rabbit hole but rather focus on the things

[00:49:23] you've done the fact that you've accomplished so much the fact that you've beaten cancer twice

[00:49:28] which is incredible yeah this was inspiring thank you so much I pledge you it was great to be here

[00:49:32] thank you so much appreciate everybody thank you