Duff Gibson was one of the many Canadians that made our country proud at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Training right here in Calgary, Duff cemented Canada’s (and Calgary’s) place as the leader in the new sport of Skeleton and provided a sense of pride, accomplishment, and inspiration for many across Canada.
Gibson’s gold medal made him the oldest individual gold medalist in the history of the Winter Games. Now retired from the sport, Duff continues his work as a firefighter with the City of Calgary. GO2 sat down with Duff Gibson to hear how physical activity has played a part in his life.
What does physical activity mean to you and why is it important?
It’s hard to define exactly what it is or what it means. It is the fresh air, being outdoors. it is having blood flowing around your body, the energy… It’s not having that sluggish feeling, like when you’re sick.
It’s also hard to say why it is important because I have never known anything else. My dad played a big role in my life when I was young. He was an athlete and a coach, so I was around sport and physical activity at a young age. Really, I can’t imagine a life that doesn’t involve training and being active.
How do you promote physical activity in your community?
For one, I have gotten into coaching more now so I’m directly interacting with youth. I have also been making a lot of appearances speaking at schools, etc, talking about my Olympic experience.
I have also become involved in a program called Sport For Life. It is an anti-smoking program for kids in Grades 4-6.
What does it mean to give back to the community?
I think everybody has a responsibility to contribute and that can be done in a number of ways, be it volunteering or whatever else. One of the things that I’m most proud of that I started doing recently is giving blood. It is something that my father always did and aside from helping others, it is a way of honouring him.
How is sport linked to physical activity and active living?
The greatest benefit of sport is how it encourages an active lifestyle. My personal history of sport and the Olympics is a bit of an unusual one. I’ve tried, trained, and competed in probably a dozen different sports and competed at a high level in 5 of them.
I came to learn that it wasn’t necessarily anything specific about the certain sport that I loved, it was the preparation, the training, the constant drive to improve and better yourself. I left with an understanding that those kind of positive aspects are a part of all activity, whether it is sport or not.
Now that I am retired from sport, I can take that same attitude to active living. There is great joy and great achievement in just getting out there and trying to do it.
To find out more about the Sport For Life program, visit www.sportforlife.ca
