Two Olympic medallists hold Whitecourt camp, a first for Canada

Two Olympic athletes were recently in Whitecourt to share their knowledge of competing on the world’s biggest stage. Shelley Vettese-Baert and Sayed Najem are Olympic medalists in taekwondo, having won their hardware during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Baert won bronze, and Najem took home silver.

Master Jim Rennie befriended both champions years ago and forged strong relationships, which led to him being able to do something never before done in Canada. “Never before in Canada have we had two Olympians teaching a seminar together,” he said. From July 21-24, Whitecourt Taekwondo played host to a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one that no one will soon forget.

“Thirty people got the chance to train for four days with an Olympic medallist and hear the stories on what you need to do to be that person. We aren’t just talking about physical stuff. A lot of it is mental. What sacrifices do you need to make to get to the next level of fighting? Whether that’s the next level of fighting in the province or maybe even the Olympics one day,” said Rennie.

In 1988, Rennie said he travelled to Korea to witness history being made. “I was lucky enough to watch our Canadian team fight for the first time in the Olympics, and my friend, Najem, whom I trained with in Edmonton, was on the team. My dad and I went to Barcelona four years later and watched our two friends, Baert and Najem, win their medals.”

Over the years, Najem has come to Whitecourt to share his wisdom, but this was the first time he taught alongside a fellow Olympian. Along with class teachings, the Olympians also gave one-on-one time to each participant, something Rennie said is indispensable. “When you hear someone as important as them say something to you, then you are going to listen, and it’s going to mean something to you.”

Najem moved to Canada from Lebanon at fourteen. Through hard work and determination, he moved up the ranks, qualified for the Olympics thrice over his career, and won many other medals. In speaking with the Whitecourt Press by phone from California, a week before the camp, Najem said he was looking forward to returning to Whitecourt.

When asked what he planned to impress upon those attending the Olympian Sparfest, Najem said he wanted the children to have fun and become more aware. “I want to give them my knowledge of how to be more aware during their sparring and martial art practice or competition. Sometimes they are unhappy when they lose or get hurt, so I want to give them that knowledge of being more aware during pressure.” For the adults, Najem said he wanted to help awaken their primal side. “I want to give them that confidence. It will be fun to bring out that tiger, or lion, that lies in each one of us.”

Having trained and competed worldwide, including in Korea, Peru, Egypt, Spain, Chile, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, and India, Najem could share a way of training that students would not experience without stepping foot onto a plane.

“On a personal level, I believe that when we do not experience other places and then we watch tv or read the news or see on the internet what’s going on in other places in the world, we start judging and sometimes criticize or even compliment those places. In my view, we have no right to do that unless we experience that on a personal level.”

He said that learning different training techniques, including during his nine-month stint in Korea, helped him expand his mind, something he wanted to share with Whitecourt students. “We all cross the same path around the world with each other. If we don’t have that fire within us, we will not expand ourselves. It doesn’t matter if we are in Russia, India, Korea, the United States or Canada. You need a fire within you.”

Being a winner, whether in taekwondo or anything else, Najem said that for him, it’s about training hard and absorbing every moment and opportunity. “Be a sponge, and don’t miss anything. Test yourself in local events and then bigger events and national events. Once you come to international events, don’t test it. Because that’s where you have gathered that information and explode yourself to win, to do your best.”

One thing Najem taught students was something that often gets downplayed. “We always say, don’t have regrets, but I do. I’m not going to lie. In 2000, when I made the Olympic trials, I made it for the third time to the Olympics. I was warming up, and my coach said to me, do not kick. But I am a very hyper guy, so I still kicked. I’m such an idiot,” he chuckled. “I ripped my hamstring. I couldn’t move. I still went in and tried. In my first fight, I went against the European champion and beat him 5-0.”

Najem said that he tore his hamstring again during his second fight, ending his chance to add to his Olympic medal count. “I teach now that you must listen to your body, and you must listen to your coach. That was a big lesson for me to learn. I regret making that mistake. You can’t just think of me, me, me, and that’s a big lesson in taekwondo and all sports. You can’t do that; you have to take and give and work as a team.”

For the taekwondo students taking in his teachings like sponges, Najem said he hopes they gain from hearing about both his successes and failures. “I share that this is how I grew. These are all the steps I took to make me who I am today.”

One of his many memorable experiences over the years included teaching Hayden Christensen how to fight in preparation for his role as Anakin Skywalker in early 2000. “I knew his sister, Hejsa, because she got silver at the National Championships that year, and she said that her brother was interested and asked me if I would be interested in training him. I said sure. He did really well, and it was awesome.”