'Make it Happen': Olympic champion Kyle Shewfelt pens first book, aims to inspire coaches and athletes
Kyle Shewfelt knows what it's like to win an Olympic gold medal. He did it at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens, Greece, making him Canada's first and only Olympic gymnastics champion.
He also now knows what it's like to be an author.
Shewfelt penned his first book, Make It Happen: My Story of Gymnastics, the Olympics, and the Positive Power of Sport, which hit book shelves last week.
Shewfelt says he lived by the phrase, 'Make It Happen,' in the 2004 games.
"For me it's a really monumental phrase that I used when I stepped onto the floor in Athens on that day when I won an Olympic gold medal," Shewfelt told CTV.
"It was a grounding phrase and it made me feel present. It made me feel ready and it allowed me to just go and let the work do its thing."
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
The book isn't just about his Olympic triumph. It also talks about some of the obstacles Shewfelt had to face through his life.
It wasn't easy for Shewfelt but he says it was important they be included in the book.
"I had a bully in high school. I had injury and I suffered severe depression when I retired from the sport, and I share all of these things in the hopes that it can open up a conversation and it can be better for the future generation and I think by sharing my story I hope I can help."
PUTTING IN THE WORK
Shewelt believes you should never give up on your dreams, no matter what you face in life. He didn't and that's the reason why he's an Olympic champion.
He says you have to be willing to put the work in and you have to be persistent.
"I try to share experience of actually being in the gym and what it felt like to learn that big release skill," Shewfelt said.
"It wasn't just that I learned it, I try to take people into those moments of the three months going up every single day with bleeding hands. And how that persistence did pay off."
POSITIVE EXPERIENCE
Shewfelt had a great coach and parents that supported him every step of the way. He believes there's a way to get the most out of an athlete. He's also hoping people can learn some things from reading his book.
"The journey needs to be Athlete driven. It needs to be parent and coach supported and that you can read the top of sport in a really positive and nurturing environment," he said.
"I hope that the stories that my coach and parents created in my career, I hop that that really shines off the page and highlights that positive experience."
Shewfelt's book is available at Indigo and Chapters book stores.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his head more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Case against ex-Mountie charged with helping China can go ahead in Quebec, judge says
A Quebec court judge has ruled that the case against a former RCMP officer charged with helping China conduct foreign interference can go ahead in the province.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.
Ippei Mizuhara, ex-interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani, will plead guilty in betting case
The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has agreed to plead guilty to bank and tax fraud in a sports betting case in which prosecutors allege he stole nearly US$17 million from the Japanese baseball player to pay off debts, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Watch fighter jet pilots pummel fake enemy ship off coast of Philippines
The United States and Philippines held annual joint-training drills just off the Southeast Asian nation’s western coast on Wednesday. Military forces sunk a 'mock' enemy warship – the BRP Lake Caliraya, which was a decommissioned tanker made in China.