Rhian Wilkinson's Official Website

SOCCER MEDIA REPORTS:

WORLD CLASS ATHLETES MAKE JOURNEY BACK TO SCHOOL

27th April 2008

By Mark Lidbetter, The Suburban

When Rhian Wilkinson and Tara Campbell got together last Tuesday morning at Dorset Elementary School in Baie d’Urfé, it was like the former classmates had just been together the day before. They picked up right where they left off even though it had been some time that these two world-class athletes had seen each other.

Wilkinson, of the Canadian National women’s soccer team, and Campbell of the women’s National water polo squad made the time to pay a visit to their former elementary school as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, where they could reminisce and address the students.

While waiting to head to the gym for their appearance, these two class of ‘94 grads poured over their yearbook that their gym teacher, Doug Wilson, who had arranged for the visit, pulled out of the archives. There was plenty of pointing and ‘Did you know?’ or ‘I ran into him’ or ‘She’s in London now’ as Wilkinson and Campbell bridged the years from 1994 to now.

“This was just such a great school,” Wilkinson said. “The fact we can remember our teachers’ names shows how important they were to us in our early education and life development. ”While both admit that Mr. Wilson was their favorite, Campbell also admitted, “I wasn’t one for gym,” she said. “I always tried to pass some kind of a note to Mr. Wilson to get out of gym class.”

Campbell and Wilkinson also were teammates for a brief period in water polo during the summer seasons at the Baie d’Urfé pool. “Nothing on land for me in the way of sports,” Campbell said. “I stayed with the pool.” That was the message that the duo brought to the students — to stay with it. “There are people who have natural talents but if you have a dream, hard work pays off in reaching that dream,” \ Wilkinson told the assembly.

Hard work has paid off for both in their respective sports; Wilkinson is busy preparing for the Olympics in Beijing with Team Canada. “This is something I have dreamt and worked for all my life,” she said. “I can understand people are upset (with China) but don’t put it on the athletes who have worked so hard to get to the Games. Let them look around their homes and see how many things are made in China. If they want to boycott, there are other ways they can protest.”

While the women’s water polo team did not qualify for Beijing, there are still two big tournaments ahead for the women this spring. “It was a huge disappointment to not qualify for the Olympics,” Campbell said. “It makes it hard to get out and go to the pool to do the work but I do it because I have to stay focused on our upcoming challenges. I have to stay on course for the next time we try to qualify.”

At the end, the friends parted ways — Wilkinson set to head to the West coast and more preparation, Campbell back to workouts here, both with new memories from an old favorite, Dorset Elementary School.