Leighann Reimer tells athletes to dream big

University of Calgary basketball star and former professional player Leighann Reimer brought words of inspiration to attendees of the St. Anthony’s Awards and Banquet last Monday night.
On June 6, the school celebrated the accomplishments of its junior high and high school athletes. Reimer told the crowd to dream big.

    Reimer grew up on a rural property near Halkirk. She attended high school in Stettler and in her senior year, she was named the top female player in Alberta. She went on to the University of Calgary where she made an impact right away on the court and was named the CIAU Rookie of the Year. In her fourth and fifth year she won the Nan Copp Trophy awarded to the nation’s top female basketball player and the Howard Mackie Award as the best female athlete in all university sports.
    She competed internationally at the World University Games in Spain and the Jones Cup in Taiwan. In 2001 she carried the torch for Canada at the World University Games in Beijing.
    She explained that her dream was to play in the Olympics and her persistence almost made it happen. It took five tryouts before she was named to the national team. She continued to play professionally in France for three years to make this dream a reality. While she made the team, they were unable to qualify for the 2004 Olympics. She said if she did not dream big she would have missed out on all the experiences she had pursuing her goals.
    “That is what sports is all about, you can dream of something and push and push for it,” she said.
    She said participating in sports contributes to a healthy lifestyle, learning discipline, how to win and lose, and interacting with people.
    “If you don’t dream big, you miss out on the journey,” she said.