GREEN TIMBERS - Somebody once said that you should never meet your heroes as it may lead to disappointment.
Thankfully, Green Timbers Elementary didn't get the memo as they did just that this past Friday when three-time Olympic speed skater Brittany Schussler visited the school.
As part of the Classroom Champion's program, which involves partnering a professional athlete with a school throughout the duration of a school year, Green Timbers students have been keeping up to date with Schussler and learning about her trials and tribulations in the world of pro speed skating.
The students have learned about Schussler's rise in her chosen sport, her defeats and her victories and have corresponded and connected with her over the past few months, including during her time at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.
Green Timbers is just one of two schools in B.C. currently enrolled in the not-for-profit program, and only one of 20 schools across Canada.
Organizer and teacher Robyn Thiessen said she jumped at the chance to partner with Classroom Champions to bring a new learning experience to the school's students.
"So we found out who our athlete was and over the past few months they've been learning things from her like goal setting and other topics," said Thiessen.
Students were also able to interact with Schussler using blog posts, videos and Skype throughout the year, including during her time in Sochi.
"So she's been communicating with the students all year long as well, she sends us videos, comments on their blogs and so we've gone back-and-forth all year long and the kids really feel that they know her and she's their friend," said Thiessen.
That feeling just made it all the more special when Green Timbers was selected as one of the few schools in the Classroom Champions program to actually have their athlete flown out to their school to meet the students they'd been corresponding with all year.
Principal John Horstead said both students and staff alike were overjoyed when they found out Schussler would be visiting.
"We're very excited to have Brittany visit Green Timbers," he said. "She's a true inspiration to the kids and has been all year long."
As a result of the program, Horstead said they've watched the students' classroom engagement increase, as well as their technology and goal-setting skills.
"They're writing, blogging, posting, connecting, so this has been a wonderful opportunity for them to grow and connect with an international athlete," said Horstead.
And after corresponding with Schussler for the past few months, the students were understandably happy to finally see their Classroom Champion in the flesh Friday.
"The first day I heard of Brittany I almost fainted," said one young female student during the school's special assembly. "I learned that losing is winning and to always go for gold and give back to the community."
That message carried on as the key theme of Schussler's speech to the students.
"Failure happens, there will always be days when you work really hard and you still fail," she said to the hundreds of students gathered. "But it's only a failure if you let it remain a failure. If you look back at it and learn why it didn't go well, you can twist it around and make it into something positive."
Thiessen said Schussler's message was an important life lesson for kids to learn.
"They were given an opportunity for role models, not just an athlete but a successful person and I think her most important message for all of us was that you need to fail," said Thiessen. "Kids these days need to know that failure is an option and we need to learn to accept it and consider it a learning experience instead of something that's undesirable.
"It really built a strong community within our classroom and gave them values to live up to and I think all children in any school anywhere really need role models."
Classroom Champions is expected to expand to more Surrey schools in the coming school year.
cpoon@thenownewspaper.com