 I am excited to share with you a series of Q&As that I did (with the generosity and help of Ken Hadall) featuring raw conversations with professional athletes breaking down who they are outside of their sports and accomplishments. My goal is that by the end of each interview you'll be able to relate to them in some way and view them as humans. This first one is a beauty.
A Champion of causes: Fearlessly defending underdogs of all walks of life, former Chicago Blackhawk Stanley Cup Champion Brent Sopel is no longer hiding “behind the stick” as he reveals his own hidden challenges. The battles that he fought on the ice left visible scars…but the invisible wounds he suffered cut deeper. Brent's personal story has directed him towards a path of advocating for others who are struggling with similar obstacles. As a result, Brent’s mission is to be:
Check out our Q&A below: Describe yourself in one word. Compassionate. What did you learn about yourself throughout your career? I truly found out who I really was . Did what you value change from when you started compared to now? Completely changed. How would you define success? Feeling good about the job you did. Do you have a system that you use to achieve your goals? Routine. What advice would you give to your younger self? Focus on being true to yourself . What does “charity” mean to you? Helping anyone who needs.  Though it may seem like yesterday, hockey has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.
I was born and raised in a Toronto Maple Leafs cheering household. Most nights you could find my dad clapping and yelling at the TV either because he was rooting for the players in his hockey pool or expressing disappointment in their performance. I actually wrote a speech about it appropriately titled “My Hockey Loving Dad” in grade 6 and made it to the public speaking semi-finals. Hockey has always served as a bonding activity between my dad and I (along with nacho and Dairy Queen dates). I went to my first Leafs game when I was 9 and they lost to the Atlanta Thrashers (now known as the Winnipeg Jets), but I was still thrilled because he had a lot of players on that team and got points. Now, I’ll shoot him a dirty look if he cheers for the Leafs’ opponent even though I wore a Vegas jersey to Scotiabank Arena when they played them. I’ve always had a passion for all things entertainment which led me to pursue a career in that field. It’s presented me with some amazing opportunities from the day I started including appearing on TMZ Live every month to comment on the latest celebrity train wreck. About a year ago, things started to change in the industry and I was losing that loving feeling I once had for what I do. Movements like #MeToo and #TimesUp were blowing up and Trump became president leading the realms of politics and entertainment to come together as one. It ruined award season - something that I would normally refer to as the most wonderful time of the year. I needed a break from all of that and turned to sports. The one thing that I love about sports and the people who work in sports is that there’s barely any bullshit. I mean, you have the trade rumours, the front office shakeups, and all that fun stuff, but I don’t think it compares to how much crap and drama there is in entertainment. I felt like sharing this reflection was the perfect way to open this new chapter and kick off the relaunch. I am so excited to share with you all of the things I've been working on while this site was offline! |