Breakfast of Champions honours Orillia’s top high school athletes
Sport Orillia’s Breakfast of Champions honoured the city’s top high school athletes and student leaders at Eclectic Café in downtown Orillia this morning.
The Breakfast of Champions, annually held on the Thursday before Orillia’s Sports Hall of Fame inductions, is an effort to recognize the accomplishments of local student athletes.
Four student athletes from each of Twin Lakes Secondary School (TLSS), Orillia Secondary School (OSS), and Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School (PF) were recognized during the event for their dedication to sport and their recent achievements.
Orillia’s Athlete of the Year from 2007, Jayme Davis, was a guest speaker during Thursday’s event. She played for Canada at the 2003 and 2007 World Field Lacrosse Championships and went on to play one season of women’s field lacrosse (2007) at Wilfrid Laurier University. That season, she won OUA rookie-of-the-year honours and was also named a first-team all-star. She then went on to star at Ohio State for four years.
In 2018, she was inducted into the Orillia Sports Hall of Fame.
Davis congratulated student athletes on their accomplishments and shared some pieces of wisdom, the first being that for athletes to be successful, they will need to step outside their comfort zone.
“In sport and in life, it’s easy to continue practising what you are good at. Usually, it feels good, and you look good doing it,” she said. “If you have goals to achieve higher things, I think it’s important to have the courage to step outside your comfort zone and do something maybe you aren’t really great at.”
Davis also encouraged young athletes to go after their own dreams and not the goals and aspirations of friends and family.
“In order to be happy and have fun in your life, I think you have to be honest and true to yourself,” she said. “You probably get a lot of advice and hear lots of things, but it’s always really important to do what you want to do.”
Davis reminded athletes that above championships and achievements, sports are about the connections made with teammates, coaches, and community members.
“You probably wouldn’t have got here today without so many special people in your lives,” she said. “Make sure you take the time to say thanks every once and a while. These people in our lives don’t have to do these things for us, but it’s pretty special that they do.”
Davis also encouraged athletes to give back to the community when opportunities arise.
“You might just be a little surprised at how good it can make you feel,” she said.
