2013 Recipient of the Jason Lapierre Memorial Scholarship at the University of Calgary: Sean Crooks

Congratulations to Olympian Sean Crooks who was the 2013 recipient of the Jason Lapierre Memorial Scholarship at the University of Calgary.

Sean wrote:

"After an eight-year hiatus from school to pursue my athletic goals as a national/Olympic team ski racer, returning as a mature student has been difficult financially. Amateur sport was an amazing avenue to learn the value of hard work, travel the world, make lifelong friends, etc., but it does not set you up financially to be able to reach academic goals. I am so thankful for awards that help amateur athletes pursue excellence in school and in sport. Thank you for supporting me and past/future recipients of this award. It makes a huge difference. After my undergraduate degree, I hope to pursue a career in sports medicine. I am passionate about healthy active living and would like to have a career where I can serve as an information source, role model and leader in promoting healthy lifestyles. I knew Jason from his time in Thunder Bay. We both resided at a small lake community for a summer and were both training hard for our respective endurance sports. Jason was training for triathlon and I was training for cross country ski racing. We did some great workouts together and he had an amazing work ethic. Years later, we met up for a long road ride in Canmore, and Jason’s love for sport was just as I remembered it. I am currently racing road bikes for an Alberta club and we have competed in Jason's memorial race for the past few years. It's one of the top events in Alberta's cycling calendar. I often think of Jason when I train and compete in running, cycling or ski racing as well as in my pursuit of academic excellence. It is a great honour to receive this award. Thank you."