Team Canada athletes experience second annual Game Plan Day at Deloitte
We always hear a lot about Team Canada athletes competing and representing Canada across the globe. What about life beyond sport and off the playing field?
Since 2015, Game Plan has been powered by Deloitte – which is Canada’s athlete wellness program that strives to support national team athletes to live better and more holistic lives.
A Team Canada athlete reflects on their personal brand. (COC/Dave Holland)
On Thursday May 2nd, Deloitte continued its support of Canadian athletes, with the second annual Game Plan Day in Canada.
The event brought close to 50 athletes from around the country into eight Deloitte offices across Canada for a day of skill building, including networking, career shadowing and interview preparation.
This is an expansion upon last year’s Game Plan Day, which had athletes visit five Canadian Deloitte offices.
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READ: Deloitte continues to prepare athletes for life after sport with first Game Plan Day
READ: Game Plan makes mental health services accessible to athletes
Game Plan Day in Canada provides athletes with the unique opportunity to practice interview skills, review resumes and shadow an expert in a field of interest at Deloitte. We caught up with some Team Canada athletes after Game Plan Day, to learn more about the highlights from their day at Deloitte.
Megan Lukan, a member of the Rio 2016 rugby squad, is no stranger to Game Plan. The Olympic bronze medallist is currently completing her MBA at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business.
READ: Game Plan helps athletes go back to school
Catch me if you can – Megan Lukan of Canada cuts through the England defence during their quarter-final on day two in Langford. (Photo: World Rugby)
Resume building
Former rugby player for Team Canada, Megan Lukan, has her resume reviewed at the Toronto Deloitte office at the second annual Game Plan Day in Canada on May 2, 2019. (COC/Mathew Tsang)
Lukan knows that her time as a high-performance athlete can help her fill out her resume for the workplace.
“Stepping back and being a retired athlete, I realize all the skillsets that I’ve developed over time are actually very applicable to the work environment. The more I get involved in things like this and talk to more people, I’m able to see those connections and see how that’s really going to leverage my skillsets to make it applicable in business.”
Job shadowing
Rower Curtis Ames participates in a mock interview session Toronto Deloitte office during the second annual Game Plan Day in Canada. (COC/Mathew Tsang)
Rower Curtis Ames participated in a mock interview and job shadowed a Deloitte employee. “It went into the culture of Deloitte and about a healthy way to work, and how to approach that, and I really appreciate it. We had a really good conversation.”
Interview Preparation
Sailor Sam Bonin listens intently at Game Plan Day in Canada at Deloitte’s Toronto office. (COC/Mathew Tsang)
Second-year Queen’s University student and sailor Sam Bonin found the mock interview session to be helpful for him.
“Being an athlete you don’t really get the chance to do many quote-on-quote hard style interviews, and given my age I haven’t been able to do that many summer internships and stuff like that, I mean at all. So having the opportunity to do interviews of this kind was super beneficial.”
Networking
Rhythmic gymnast Crystal Dimov was able to expand her professional network.
“For networking, I feel like this is a good base to start at. Having already the few contacts I’ve already made so far and it’s only been an hour in, and being able to reach out to those people, for Deloitte positions maybe or at other companies because they have so many contacts here, I feel that it’s a really good chance to broaden my perspective and my opportunities.”
Rhythmic gymnast Crystal Dimov participates in the second annual Game Plan Day in Canada at the Toronto Deloitte office. (COC/Mathew Tsang)
Deloitte’s Game Plan Day is a program of Game Plan, a collaboration between the COC, CPC, Sport Canada and Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute Network that helps athletes find balance.
“We know that balanced athletes perform better, stay in sport longer and retire healthier,” said Thomas Hall, senior manager of Game Plan. “By offering national team athletes support in five main areas: health, skill development, education, network and careers, we help them find balance, which not only helps athletes achieve success in their athletic careers, but gives them valuable tools for their lives after sport.”
