Jeff Powell's Journey from Olympic Athlete to Mentor for Future Champions

August 28, 2024 — Jeff Powell, the executive director of the Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba (CSCM), reflects on his mixed experience at the Athens 2004 Olympics. As a world champion rower, he had high hopes, but his time in Athens was marred by a disappointing result for Canada’s men’s eight rowing team. Powell admits he struggled for a long time with not achieving the results he had envisioned.

The Canadian men’s eight team entered the Athens Olympics with high expectations, having won world championships in 2002 and 2003. However, they underperformed, leaving a bitter taste in Powell’s mouth. “The flip side is it was a fantastic experience,” Powell shares, “and it allowed me to learn about who I am and what I can accomplish, which is pretty valuable to me and probably not something I would have gotten in any other way.”

Powell’s Olympic disappointment was a catalyst for change in his career. As he transitioned from being an athlete to a coach and mentor, he became determined to help future athletes avoid the struggles he faced after the Olympics. This led him to his current role at CSCM, where he works to develop and support high-performance athletes in Manitoba.

The CSCM, established in 1999 as a legacy of the Pan American Games, has played a significant role in nurturing Manitoba’s top athletes. The center provides aspiring Olympians, Paralympians, and other elite athletes with comprehensive services, including strength and conditioning, nutrition, mental performance, and sports medicine. These services complement the technical training provided by their coaches. “You have a coach who teaches you everything you need on the court,” Powell explains. “We are here for everything outside of it.”

While CSCM’s role does not involve direct control over an athlete’s training environment, Powell emphasizes that the organization aims to support coaches in creating a positive pathway for athletes. He hopes the 400 Canadian athletes competing in the Paris Olympics will feel proud of their performance on the big day. “I hope they feel that on the day, they were able to perform in a way that properly reflects all the training, effort, and time they’ve put into their sport,” he says.

As the Olympics conclude and the Paralympics begin, Powell hopes that changemakers, elected officials, and community leaders will recognize the broader impact that sports and recreation can have on society. “I’d love the narrative to change a little,” Powell states, “seeing sport not as something additional but something positively impacting other social goals like education, health, and justice.”

The Olympic Games in Paris ended on Sunday, August 11, with Canada winning 27 medals, including two medals for Manitobans: Abby Dent, who won silver in women’s eight rowing, and Skylar Park, who took home a bronze in women’s 57kg Tae Kwon Do.

As the Paralympic Games open on Wednesday, August 28, two Manitoban athletes will compete: Leanne Taylor in the para-triathlon on Monday, September 2, 2024, at 1:15 a.m. (CT), and Bethany Johnson in wheelchair basketball, starting on Thursday, August 29, at 11:15 a.m. (CT). Michele Sung, head coach of the Bisons women’s basketball team, will coach the women’s wheelchair basketball team.

For those eager to watch the Paralympics, the Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba and the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management invite you to the Paris 2024 Viewing Lounge in the Active Living Centre Agora. The event will feature CBC coverage on a big screen from the Opening Ceremonies on August 28 at 1:00 p.m. to the Closing Ceremonies on September 8 at 1:00 p.m., with a focus on Manitoban athletes and Canadian teams.

If you can’t make it to the Agora, you can still catch all the action by tuning into CBC Gem for full coverage of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.