Rideau Hall, Monday, November 17, 2014

What a privilege it is to welcome you to Rideau Hall, the home of the people of Canada.

The Academic All-Canadian Commendation goes to this country’s very best and brightest student-athletes, and each of you being recognized today is so very deserving of this honour.

You come from right across Canada, and you participate in a remarkably wide range of sports and academic studies.

Together, you participate in soccer, hockey, basketball, volleyball and track and field, and you study chemistry, business, pharmacology, accounting, the sciences and physical education.

Did I miss anyone?!

In fact, you are involved in a great many more activities, as volunteers, coaches and mentors. As a former student-athlete myself, I know exactly how much time and dedication is required to participate in both academics and athletics, and the answer is: a lot.

I would like to congratulate you on studying and competing at such a high level. I have always thought it important to be as well-rounded as possible, and research increasingly shows how a healthy body and a sharp mind reinforce each other.

Your example demonstrates to you peers and to all Canadians that it is possible to do both: that is, to excel in your work and to maintain physical fitness at the same time.

So much the better if you can have fun doing it!

We must never think of learning and physical activity as being mutually exclusive; rather, we must think of them as being mutually inclusive, and reinforcing one another.

We know that learning and sport can coexist from a very young age—just think back to elementary school, when learning was interspersed with recess and games!

I am so pleased at the growing number of student-athletes who are succeeding in the Canadian postsecondary education system today. This year, a record 2 863 students achieved the Academic All-Canadian Commendation, out of more than 11 000 student-athletes overall.

I would also like to mention the 700 coaches from 56 universities and 4 regional associations that are participating in university sport in Canada. None of this happens without their support and guidance.

These are truly encouraging numbers that point to the enthusiasm with which postsecondary athletics are being embraced in this country.

One example of this success is the Vanier Cup, which will take place later this month at McGill University. This year marks the 50th anniversary of that storied championship, named after my predecessor, General the Right Honourable Georges Vanier.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all those who have made the Vanier Cup and so many other postsecondary sports in Canada into such great successes.  

This commendation means you are among Canada’s best student-athletes. Together you represent a generation that is both learning and playing at an impressively high level. Your accomplishments prove that with a positive attitude and a strong work ethic, academics and athletics can thrive together.

I know how proud your respective faculties, teams and schools are to count you among their own, and rightly so.

Thank you for your hard work and dedication, and congratulations on receiving this honour.