Dear PB Readers,

It doesn't happen often, but every once in a while all the forces in the universe line up and you are witness to something amazing. You might have been lucky enough to have been in Mexico City during 1968 Olympics and watched Bob Beamon set the world long-jump record of 29 feet 2.5 inches. Maybe you were lucky enough to have been in Hamilton in 1987 to watch Mario and Wayne score in the last minute to beat the Russians in the Canada Cup Hockey Tournament. This past Saturday evening all of the forces required were aligned and a great Year End Awards Supper I was emceeing turned into something even more special!

Our keynote speaker for the evening was marathon distance swimmer and Order of Canada award winner Vicki Keith. Vicki described to the audience how she had been told by her dance instructor that she moved like a horse and that she had no potential to be an athlete. Devastated by the powerful words of her coach, Vicki quit sport believing that she had no athletic ability. Fortunately for Vicki a few years later a local swim club was one girl short for their relay team and asked her if she would join them in the pool. Vicki loved swimming and soon she was in the water two hours each morning and evening. Dreaming of becoming an Olympian, Vicki sat in her living room watching the world's best swimmers on TV trying to mimic their arm-turnover rate. Vicki quickly realized that she couldn't turn her arms over nearly as fast as the best Olympic swimmers and once again her coaches told her that she would never become anything special.

If pure genetic talent wasn't Vicki's greatest asset, her desire was. One night, while lying in bed, Vicki started to visualize herself becoming a marathon distance swim champion. The longest pool swims are only 1500m (roughly 17 minutes of swimming), Vicki wanted to become the world's best marathon distance swimmer (20km, 30km, 50km even 100+ km). Vicki spent several days searching through the World Record books for Marathon Swimming and soon set her sights on achieving 100 hours of non-stop pool swimming (yes I said 100 hours of nonstop back and forth swimming in a 25 meter pool). The mental strength and determination to achieve such a feat is staggering. Once Vicki successfully achieved 100 hours in a pool she set her sights on Lake Crossings. Canada and Ontario are home to some of the world's greatest lakes and Vicki set her sights on tackling each of them. Vicki became the first person (man or woman) to ever accomplish a double crossing of Lake Ontario. "Because all of the men who had previously tried to swim the double crossing had always failed - the experts said it could never be done", Vicki told the sold-out crowd at the C3 banquet on Saturday evening. Keith became the first woman or man to do the double crossing and then set her sights on the nearly impossible feat of crossing all five of the Great Lakes in just one summer.

With so many world records and athletic successes to her credit, Vicki's motivation to keep swimming started to decline. Vicki realized that swimming was an activity that many physically and mentally disabled children could do; and benefit from. She started working with under privileged and handicapped children and saw the health and confidence benefits that children got from becoming swimmers. Vicki's desire to swim the five Great Lakes had one sole purpose - raise awareness and money for a swimming pool for under-privileged and handicapped kids. Upon the successful accomplishment of her five lake crossing, funds started to flow into Vicki's charity at Variety Village. In the years that followed Vicki's marathon success days of the 80's, she became an even more motivated coach. Many amputees and children with cerebral palsy became Vicki's swimmers and went onto win national and international medals.

One of the athletes who showed up on Vicki's pool deck was Ashley Cowan, a young girl missing both her arms and legs. While Vicki's initial observation of the girl's swim skills were not overly optimistic she remembered back to her first days in the pool and believed that anything was possible. While the young swimmer struggled to even do 50m, her attitude was so infectious that Vicki knew the girl had something special. The young girl had been inspired by Vicki's previous swim accomplishments and claimed that one day she would become a marathon swimmer as well. Through Vicki's great mentoring and the young swimmers amazing determination they set a goal of swimming the 20 km across Lake Erie. No physically disabled swimmer had ever accomplished such a marathon swim of this distance nor had anyone so young (just 15 years of age) ever successfully achieved this huge a task. Fourteen hours after she left shore Ashley Cowan made the record books and showed the importance of having someone who believes in you.

Over the past four years Vick and husband John Munro have started a new swim club for physically disabled kids in the Kingston area. While pool time has been a premium, Vicki's athletes have been steadily winning medals at the National and Para Olympic level. This past summer Vick got back in the water for her one final marathon swim to raise funds for a kid's pool. Sixty hours after she entered the cold waters of Lake Ontario, the 44 year old set a new world record of 80.2 kilometers of non-stop butterfly swimming.

My athletes and friends sat transfixed this past Saturday evening listening to Vicki's story of courage and compassion for kids who need a helping hand. At the time, Vicki was just $11 000.00 away from hitting the amazing target of having raised one million dollar's for charity. Following Vicki's heart-warming story, Canadian Cross Training Club Chairman Gary Hutchinson was so inspired that he walked up to the podium and challenged the people in the room and you our PB readers to help Vicki raise the final $11 000.00 she required to accomplish her goal of helping handicapped Canadian Children. Within thirty minutes Gary raised over half of money required from the people in the room and I have promised to help him raise the balance in the next few weeks. If Vicki was an American or European who had given so much to society she would likely have a stamp and street named after her. My goal this week is to ask those of you who can make any donation to help get Vicki over the top of her fundraising goal to contact C3 Chairman Gary Hutchinson directly to communicate your ability to make a donation (Gary can be emailed at gary@c3online.ca ) To find out more about one of Canada's finest athlete/coach see her website www.penguinscanfly.ca.

Welcome to readers of our 267th consecutive Personal Best Weekly Newsletter. In a week when the media have been writing about the horrible bullying incident at a local Toronto High School, I want to emphasize the importance of hearing positive messages. While there is only one Vicki Keith, there were countless hundreds of volunteers and supporters who helped Vicki over the years. The world is filled with endless fantastic stories about giving and it's important that we continue to hear and see these acts of kindness. Check out our PB website at www.personalbest.ca and send your contributions to barrie@personalbest.ca. Have a great week.

NOV 21st PB HIGHLIGHTS

* QUOTE ON BLAME
* THE IMPORTANCE OF HARD WORK
* DON'T MISS DEC 3RD RUNNING AND VIDEO ANALYSIS CLINIC
* TO GIVE IS BETTER THAN TO RECEIVE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
* JOIN BARRIE AND CARON AT THEIR WEEKLY WORKOUTS AT YORK UNIVERSITY
* GEAR'S CYCLE FOR CHARITY IN FEBRUARY 2006

QUOTE ON BLAME

"When you blame others you give up your power to change."

- Author Unknown (Know anyone who fits this?)

THE IMPORTANCE OF HARD WORK

Hard work means nothing to a hen. Regardless of what business forecasters say about the price of eggs … regardless of what others expect of her … regardless of fluctuations … in she scratches harder. If it's dry, she digs deeper. If it's wet, she digs where it is dry. If she strikes a rock, she digs around it. If she gets a few more hours of daylight in the barnyard, she digs a few more hours. Have you ever seen a pessimistic hen? Have you ever seen a hen cackle in disgust at the prospect of her job? Did you ever hear one cluck because the work was hard, the conditions were poor, and some of here eggs were taken from her before they hatched. NO. Hens save their breath for digging. They save their cackles for the eggs that are laid. There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.

- (written by Wayne Dwyer).

Note: Most of the greatest successes I know of in sport and business stem from simple pure hard work. If you can have one asset, make it an appreciation and acceptance for hard work.

DON'T MISS DEC 3RD RUNNING AND VIDEO ANALYSIS CLINIC

As great as running is, I rarely go a week without seeing a friend who is injured or just coming back from injury. Whether you are a runner, triathlete, soccer player or a coach you will benefit from this half day clinic with Dr. Robert Taylor. In this seminar we will video tape all runners then Dr. Taylor will take you through his time-proven series of injury prevention stretches and exercises. If you are the 90% of the running population who suffers from running injuries or you are someone who wants to improve your run performances don't miss this exclusive one day only clinic in Orangeville, Ontario. In my twenty-five years of coaching, Dr. Robert Taylor is the single best biomechanist I have dealt with. If you used to be a runner and want to start back, or you are currently dealing with running related pains, don't miss this clinic. Spots are limited. See the C3 website for more details and registration www.c3online.ca

TO GIVE IS BETTER THAN TO RECEIVE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

While receiving gifts is enjoyable, many of us are far too lucky and should pass those gifts on to those who are in need. For the past five years my wife and I have decided instead of exchanging gifts amongst adults, we now give to important charities. Each year we identify a family or person in need and put the money we would have spent on needless gifts to needy families. One year we sponsored a family whose house had burned down just weeks before Christmas. Another year, a group of us sponsored a high school teenager who was struggling to survive on her own. Each of your communities have a family, athlete, or individual who is in need of a "hand-up". If you are like myself and are suffering from being "too-lucky" consider passing some of that great luck around to another family this Christmas.

JOIN BARRIE AND CARON AT THEIR WEEKLY YORK UNIVERSITY WORKOUTS

Every Tuesday night Barrie and Caron Shepley along with C3 run a 2 hour total body workout. Hour 1 is for power-walking or running with Barrie followed by a 1hr power yoga / core strength class with Caron Shepley. Participants range from 8-75 years of age with goals ranging from doing their first 5km, losing 20 pounds or training for an Ironman. Programs run from 5-7pm or 6-8pm at the indoor track at York University. Join us this week! Check out the C3 website www.c3online.ca for the many bike, swims, runs and dryland sessions.

GEAR'S CYCLE FOR CHARITY IN FEBRUARY 2006

The great people at Gears Cycling have raised millions of dollars for new hospital expansions. The details are simple. You and friends are on a spin bike for 1-24 hours from Friday evening Feb 17th until Sat evening Feb 18th. Spin instructors and personalities will motivate you over the 24 hours. While some are crazy enough to spin for the entire 24 hours, most people do a 2-3 hour bike shift with 7-10 others. I have personally been to this great event and can't recommend it enough. For more details www.Gears24HourSpin.com

HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND TRY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE OF AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON.