For the last decade Canada's Sporting Officials have been lobbying the federal government for increased funding on the premise that increased funding will lead to more medals which in turn will motivate Canadians to get involved in sport.
"I think they understand what we're saying. The critical point is to link the health of Canadians with active lifestyles - it would take a burden off the health budget if more Canadians were involved in sport. And one of the links that accomplishes that is the link of high-performance athletes getting on the podium. Every time that happens, the number of kids involved in physical activity goes up." notes Alex Baumann Executive Director of the Own the Podium Program.
For this blogger the link between Olympic medals and a healthy society was always a poorly contrived theory. Think about it. Using the logic of Canada's Sporting Leaders, municipalities and provinces should pump millions into the CFL or NHL because a championship run, after all, would get kids active. However, despite how irrational the theory was, the federal government seeminly bought it, until maybe now.
A couple of weeks ago, the Canadian Press reported that all Canadians were fatter than they were in 1981. The report went on to add that there was a three fold increase in child obesity since 1981. http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gVB3NH3D7S2U3Qn-1e2OvnCCVDcA.
The logic of which wouldn't make much sense if you listened to Canada's Sporting Officials. In 1981 Canada boycotted the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, and won only 2 medals at the Winter Olympics that very same year. Some 30 years later Canada is poised to win a record number of medals at the 2010 Olympics and returned home from the 2008 Summer Olympics with 18 medals. And yet despite Canada's success at the Olympics, Canadians are fatter, less active and we as a nation are facing a health epidemic as a result.
Here is a thought. Maybe it is time that we as a nation invested in opportunities for our youth. Like Recreation Centres. Just a thought.
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