Olympian sprinter Akeem Haynes has spent the last two days in the Alberta Peace, checking in with students that have been a part of the Classroom Champions program this year.
Sponsored by Encana, Haynes has been teaching monthly lessons by video conferencing with classes at Harry Balfour, Aspen Grove, Helen E. Taylor, Beaverlodge Elementary, Hythe Regional and LaGlace schools.
“Every month I speak on a certain topic we have, and I give the kids a challenge at the end of the video. Being an athlete is a small portion of our lives, so it’s all about being successful as an individual and as a human being overall.”
Participating students have gotten to meet Haynes in person both at school and at a community event in Wembley Tuesday night. He says his focus is on teaching patience and progress throughout the year.
“It might not be tomorrow or a year from now, but you can get to your goal if you’re just patient with it and you keep applying yourself and you keep putting 100 per cent into everything you do; that’s what I always try and stress through each video I do is to give 100 per cent at all times.”
Haynes was born in Jamaica but moved to Canada when he was young. He qualified for the four-by-100 relay at the 2012 London Olympics.