Canadian Champion 2010

Gold Medal for Alberta Men’s Provincial Team

I played table tennis competitively in the Czech Republic during my teenage years. Spending my days in the gym and practicing hard was my passion. Ping pong was not just a great game but the sport itself taught me a great deal of discipline, focus on goals, building of confidence, team work, knowing how to win and also how to loose; all great life skills and lessons. At the top of my performance, when I was 18 years old, I played a second national league in the Czech Republic.

Life got busy however and I stopped playing entirely. It wasn’t until 10 years later, when I brushed off my table tennis bat and went to a gym in Calgary to hit a few balls. It came as a complete surprise to me that my addiction to the game returned almost immediately. Shortly, I started to practice 6 times a week, I took private lessons from world class Chinese players, I loved the exercise, I loved the camaraderie, I loved the game. I improved dramatically and I qualified as a player for Alberta Provitial Team. Playing on a team with my two coaches, who were both international athletes, was not only a great honor, but also a lot of fun. I will cherish those times till the rest of my life.

And then it happened. As luck had it, the National Championships were held in Calgary that year. Our team Alberta competed with other provincial teams to win the title. Historically, Ontario and Quebec were the strongest teams, Alberta on the other hand had never won the gold medal. The history was going to change however on July 31, 2010.

We did it! We won the gold medal. We beat Quebec in semifinals and we beat team Ontario in the finals! First time in history, Alberta men’s team won the gold medal and we became Canadian Champions of 2010!

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