Life’s a Climb, But the Views are Great
Oh boy, 2020 was definitely a year that nobody expected. Many highs and many lows were felt by people all around the world.
While enduring virtual school as a university student during a global pandemic was not an easy task, this year has been one of substantial personal growth and I am thankful for the opportunities that arose.
Let me first give you a little background on myself.
Sports, More Sports, and Did I Mention Sports?
To say that being an athlete and involved in the athletic world has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember is an understatement.
I was fortunate enough to have parents that allowed me to try any activity I pleased, however, this resulted in my mother trying to turn me into a dancer at four-years-old. This endeavour only lasted about three weeks, and close to twenty years later my dancing hasn’t gotten any better.
I was fortunate enough to play varsity U SPORTS rugby for the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, my hometown team, as well as numerous other teams during my high school playing years.
Swimming and rugby have been the loves of my life for a very long time, and while my heart loved it, my joints did not.
Traded Cleats for Coffee
2020 essentially started with the difficult decision to retire from elite sport to receive a second reconstruction surgery, this time on my shoulder, to better equip my body for life outside of being “Jordan the Athlete” and “Jordan the Rugby Player”.
I’ll be honest, that was hard. Walking away from something that I had identified with and as for so long as one of the most difficult decisions I’ve had to make so far, and I was completely lost. Anybody who has gone through a situation in their life where they felt like they lost a piece of themselves in one moment knows what I’m talking about. Then, as we all know, the pandemic hit in March.
As many of us experienced, this time period was a very dark time mentally. Not being able to see people or participate in activities that would previously cheer me up definitely did not help.
My then-roommates and I tried our hand at TikTok dances (not very well), whipped coffee, and pretty much every other internet trend that originated. We did successfully binge-watch Tiger King and Love Is Blind, along with way too many Harry Potter and superhero movie marathons. Typical young-adults-in-quarantine activities!
Fast forward to August, when I interviewed for a position with a local junior sports team here, in beautifully Saskatoon. Being Saskatchewan-born and Alberta-raised, I have always wanted to move back to my home province and live near my family.
Seriously, ask anyone! It wasn’t a surprise to many people when I said I was moving and creating a fresh start.
Fresh Start in the Paris of the Prairies
The next few months were a bit of a whirlwind.
Beginning of September, I received my shoulder reconstruction. Surgeries are never fun but I was lucky enough to have my loving family and friends to keep me company while I perched in a recliner for a month.
Also in September, I decided to transfer to the University of Saskatchewan to finish my business degree in Marketing at the Edwards School of Business. This decision had a few reasons behind it:
- I would have attended the UofS if there was a U SPORTS Women’s Rugby Team here, but unfortunately, there isn’t
- Have you seen the UofS campus? Absolutely beautiful!
- And… I aspire to become an attorney, with the UofS College of Law being my school of choice!
It is pretty fitting that I have found a new home at Road Coffee so that I already know what coffee I will be cherishing during those law school years!
Alisha and the team at Road Coffee gave me an incredible opportunity to broaden my business experience and learn about an entirely new world.
When searching for a second part-time position in November, I was immediately drawn to Road Coffee and Alisha’s story. Creating a business that is focused on directly improving the lives of coffee farmers around the world through partnerships and within our local community is no easy task, and I was absolutely blown away by anything I read about Road.
The mission and goal of Road directly aligned with what I want to accomplish as an attorney and had to throw my name into the hat. Coming from the world of athletes and every job I have previously held is related to sport and fitness, this has been an awesome learning experience for me!
No Storm Lasts Forever
It is a well-known fact that life is not always easy, and 2020, even the first few days of 2021, have embodied that sentiment. Shifting our mindsets to see the beauty in something so negative is a very hard task but has had some incredibly rewarding benefits.
I know I personally struggled with trying to think of the positives of the past year. How could we? There has been so much negativity this past year and it has all been completely out of our control.
I instead decided to focus on the positives, no matter how big or small:
- Successfully have now completed ten months’ worth of online university (yes, summer classes included. What else could have filled those summer days with not much to do!)
- I was fortunate enough to play a sport that I loved at an elite level and have many incredible memories from it. That was pretty cool.
- For the most part, my family and friends stayed healthy and safe throughout this pandemic. While we can only connect virtually, it still brightens my day to see their smiling faces on the other end.
- We have lived through some monumental moments in history the last year, and I look forward to seeing what societal changes occur because of it. I can’t wait to see the future generations’ faces when we tell them there was a national shortage of toilet paper!
Most of all, I learned to be kind, always and further appreciate the people have in my life. This year has proved difficult for many all over the world, and we are often completely unaware of what someone could be going through. Whether it is your best friend from grade three or a stranger you pass by in the park.
If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably realized that I love to talk! I look forward to meeting more and more of the people within the Saskatoon community and to share with you some more of my thoughts about a variety of topics in blogs to come!
Author Jordan Calladine