b'ROLE MODELSThe Indigenous Olympian took MorrissIndigenous athletes serve a meaningful wisdom to heart to launch a post-Olympics career of advocacy, teaching andmentorshiptothousandsofrole in their communitiesnot merely Indigenous youth. Its who we are as an Indigenous people, she says. Its part of our cultureour core valuestoas heroes to revere, but as examples go out there, get that experience, and then come back and see how we canof how community, persistence and help each other. FIRST CHAPTERS passion can result in successEvery hero has a story. For Linklater, the first chapter was inked during his childhood in Thunder Bay when a new basketball court at his school sparked aHorn-Miller recalls. She said, I dontfrom my parents, I returned to the team passion that would carry him through hiscare what you do as long as you do itand never looked back. days at the University of Saskatchewan,to the best of your abilities. the International Basketball League,Norris would face additional challenges and beyond.Indeed, encouragement from family andthroughout his career, nevertheless he friends has galvanized many sportinglearned to push through and give his Horn-Millers story also started at acareers. Former hockey player Claytonbest to several teams, including the young age. She and her sisters wereNorris (Cold Creek First Nations) recallsPhiladelphia Flyers. Today, he continues encouraged to pick up sports by theirbeing motivated to follow in his hockey- to apply some of the lessons he learned mother, Kahn-Tineta Horn, a reveredplaying brothers footsteps by parentson the ice in his role as vice president Indigenous activist who believed in thewho taught him the value of perseverance.of Aboriginal services with MNP LLP, an character-building benefits of physicalI remember I was 16 and just startedaccounting, tax and business consulting competition. She put us into sportsplaying for the Medicine Hat Tigers. I wasfirm where he provides services to more because she knew that would give usso homesick after a month that I drovethan 225 First Nations, Mtis and Inuit specific skills that would help us towardshome and said I quit, he says. After abusinesses and communities. Sports whatever goals we strived to achieve,weekend at home with encouragementprovided me with unique training to learn Aboriginal BUSINESS REPORT19'