Our champions are our Olympians. They do what they need to do. I remember the day after the Olympic Games. I told my athletes that the most important day was the one after winning their medals because that is when they would go to give talks at schools and companies. They would go and talk about the importance of an active life and the fact that you don't need to take the elevator to go up one floor.
We need to use our assets to help them understand that this is not just about the sport and that you have to give something back. Canada has a program called the athlete assistance program. We might decide that one of the roles of Canada's 1,800 carded athletes is to give presentations in schools, for instance.
I don't think Olympians or international athletes understand the power they have in their hands. They can change the world. We must give them that opportunity. We must encourage them to knock on doors and to go to elementary schools and hand out T-shirts. That is what Chris Hadfield is doing right now with the space station. He gives presentations to young people in schools. That is what we should do with our great champions.