Player's Own Voice podcast: Sheldon Kennedy skating with a purpose
Advocate for the abused gearing up now the for Battle of the Blades
When Battle of the Blades contestants throw it down on the rink, they are not chasing personal riches.
They are in it for their favourite charitable cause. Which sounds like a perfect summary of Sheldon Kennedy's life work.
The former NHL player, who is strapping on toe picks for the first time for BOTB, is quick to say his life and career was permanently scarred by the sexual abuse he suffered as a youth.
Before Sheldon, nobody talked about coaches as predators. And, in fact, the silence surrounding the issue nearly killed him.
But Sheldon Kennedy has changed the world, and his own life story, by advocating for victims and training more than one and a half million sport volunteers and workers to end the abuse.
How's he doing now? Well, he's a new farmer and a new father and he's having fun on the new skates.
Player's Own Voice podcast host Anastasia Bucsis checks in with that rare hockey legend whose greatest work is happening off the ice.
Like the CBC Sports' Player's Own Voice essay series, POV podcast lets athletes speak to Canadians about issues from a personal perspective. To listen to Sheldon Kennedy and earlier guests this season, subscribe for free on iTunes, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Tune In or wherever you get your other podcasts.
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