Duff Gibson
Duff holds the distinction as the oldest (39) individual sport Winter Olympic Champion in history. His path to Olympic gold reads like a sport sampler beginning with rowing, followed by speed skating, then bobsleigh, and finally skeleton.
He captured the public's imagination with his stirring gold medal win, which proved an emotional highlight of the Torino Games following the death of his father and mentor who lost an 11-year battle with cancer just prior to the Olympics.
Following the Torino Games, Duff officially retired from active competition, but certainly has not slowed down. Duff continues to work as a firefighter and is pursuing the long list of adventures that he put on hold during his pursuit of Olympic gold.
In 2009, Duff took on a Dare to Remember on behalf of the Stephen Lewis Foundation raising awareness and funds to turn the tide of HIV/AIDS in Africa by daring people to help out - and seeing the African struggles first-hand, Duff was motivated to make a difference.
He and his wife Jen recently adopted two boys, Gedion, 5, and Taye, 2, from Ethiopia making his commitment to carry a water jug over 12kms from Canada Olympic Park to his son Gedion's elementary school a deeply personal one. "While in Africa, we learned first hand the daily plight of women who walk several hours each day for often-contaminated water for their families. Weighing upwards of 45lbs, grandmothers, mothers and even young children carry these water jugs on their heads. What better way to bring awareness to these extraordinary people doing extraordinary things than through the Dare to Remember campaign," said Duff.
Giving back to the sport that fulfilled his Olympic dreams, Duff joined Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton as the National Coach of the skeleton team and will also be providing in-depth analysis of the sport for CTV's Olympic coverage. In 2007, Duff was recognized by the Canadian Blood Services as an Honoured New Donor for his commitment to raising awareness of the importance of blood donation in Canada. Duff continues his work with Operation LifeBlood to honour the memory of his father who donated blood over 100 times in his life.
A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Duff also holds a Masters degree in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary.
Duff's engaging speaking style combines years of experience in sport and a great storytelling ability with a focus on the mentors he draws inspiration from. He speaks passionately to corporate and community audiences on themes including perseverance, teamwork and passion.
Duff holds the distinction as the oldest (39) individual sport Winter Olympic Champion in history. His path to Olympic gold reads like a sport sampler beginning with rowing, followed by speed skating, then bobsleigh, and finally skeleton.
He captured the public's imagination with his stirring gold medal win, which proved an emotional highlight of the Torino Games following the death of his father and mentor who lost an 11-year battle with cancer just prior to the Olympics.
Following the Torino Games, Duff officially retired from active competition, but certainly has not slowed down. Duff continues to work as a firefighter and is pursuing the long list of adventures that he put on hold during his pursuit of Olympic gold.
In 2009, Duff took on a Dare to Remember on behalf of the Stephen Lewis Foundation raising awareness and funds to turn the tide of HIV/AIDS in Africa by daring people to help out - and seeing the African struggles first-hand, Duff was motivated to make a difference.
He and his wife Jen recently adopted two boys, Gedion, 5, and Taye, 2, from Ethiopia making his commitment to carry a water jug over 12kms from Canada Olympic Park to his son Gedion's elementary school a deeply personal one. "While in Africa, we learned first hand the daily plight of women who walk several hours each day for often-contaminated water for their families. Weighing upwards of 45lbs, grandmothers, mothers and even young children carry these water jugs on their heads. What better way to bring awareness to these extraordinary people doing extraordinary things than through the Dare to Remember campaign," said Duff.
Giving back to the sport that fulfilled his Olympic dreams, Duff joined Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton as the National Coach of the skeleton team and will also be providing in-depth analysis of the sport for CTV's Olympic coverage. In 2007, Duff was recognized by the Canadian Blood Services as an Honoured New Donor for his commitment to raising awareness of the importance of blood donation in Canada. Duff continues his work with Operation LifeBlood to honour the memory of his father who donated blood over 100 times in his life.
A graduate of the University of Western Ontario, Duff also holds a Masters degree in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary.
Duff's engaging speaking style combines years of experience in sport and a great storytelling ability with a focus on the mentors he draws inspiration from. He speaks passionately to corporate and community audiences on themes including perseverance, teamwork and passion.
Photos
Documents
