Player's Own Voice

Even though figure skater Paige Lawrence competed at the Olympic level, she has never forgotten the lessons she learned growing up in a rodeo family in rural Saskatchewan. Among these lessons are her formidable work ethic, her resourcefulness, and her motto- 'safety third'. Listen as she joins host Anastasia Bucsis to discuss her difficult decision to retire, the importance of giving back to her small town community, and the artistry of figure skating.

She is undoubtedly one of the greatest athletes to come out of Canada. She's also notoriously shy around the media. Join Players Own Voice host, Anastasia Bucsis, and the Queen of Speed, Cindy Klassen, as they candidly hash-out an extraordinary career, through giggles, and an intimacy that is only found when old teammates reunite... over a piece of chocolate cake.

Desiree Scott is a two time Olympic bronze medalist, Zumba instructor, self-proclaimed "hopeless romantic", and yet, her nickname is "the destroyer". Desiree is undeniably one of the most physical players in the world of soccer, which helped her bring two Olympic bronze medals back to her hometown of Winnipeg. Although Desiree is fierce, she swears she leaves it on the field, and has a laugh when discussing her contrasting dispositions. There are layers to this Canadian midfielder, and Player's Own Voice host, Anastasia Bucsis, peels them back in this light and refreshing conversation.

Kaitlyn Lawes - Canada's first ever back to back Olympic curling champion - has become a world leading athlete in the sport. The two-time Olympic gold medallist won in Sochi 2014 with teammate Jennifer Jones, and won again in the sport's Mixed-Doubles debut in PyeongChang 2018 alongside John Morris. Listen as Kaitlyn and POV host, Anastasia Bucsis chat about The Olympics, their shared love of the ice, and some of the best players in the sport of curling.

Jesse Lumsden's career has spanned the NFL, CFL, and three Olympic Bobsled campaigns. When people talk about being a pure athlete - he's what they mean. So it is kind of amazing to learn that one of Canada's most respected sportsmen, has been denied Super bowls, Grey cups, Vanier cups, and Olympic hardware. Does missing those big ticket team wins haunt him? Absolutely. But Lumsden points out - the absence of a victory does not mean the presence of a failure. As an athlete, his conscience is clean as can be. He has given himself every possible preparation and opportunity to succeed. If that sounds like he's saying the medals are not as important as the process of getting there... well, he probably is.

Despite having retired from competition over 20 years ago, Olympic rower Silken Laumann remains a major voice in the world of sport. Since retiring, Silken has advocated for a greater focus on mental health amongst athletes. Listen as Silken and POV host Anastasia Bucsis have a frank and honest conversation about their own struggles, and discuss why it's so hard for athletes to talk about mental health.

Kaitlyn Weaver is one of Canada's most celebrated figure skaters. But the three time world champion, two time Canadian champion, and two time Olympian's road to success hasn't always been a smooth ride. Kaitlyn and her partner, Andrew Poje, missed being on the Canadian Figure Skating Team Event that won gold at PyeongChang - but turned the disappointment around almost immediately with killer performances at the worlds. Listen as Kaitlyn opens up about the highs and lows of her career, how she finds motivation in the setbacks, and what Canada has come to mean for the American born skater.

Jillian Saulnier - alongside her teammate Blayre Turnbull - became the first two women from Nova Scotia to play Olympic hockey, bringing home a silver medal at the 2018 winter games in PyeongChang. In this week's episode of POV, Jillian opens up about the humbling nature of her Olympic journey, what her medal means to her, and how a mix of "adrenaline and tape" allowed her to remain on the ice despite a torn MCL.

Alpine skiing, skicross, and track cycling - Vancouver's own Georgia Simmerling has mastered them all. She is the first Canadian to compete in three different Olympic sports at three separate Olympic Games. But Georgia's story goes deeper than just being a multi-sport talent. She has bounced back from medieval injuries, including broken legs, a broken back, and a bit-off tongue! Listen as Georgia opens up about her seemingly never ending recovery, and what keeps her returning to sport and competition.

Patrick Chan- the figure skater whose athleticism and artistry defined a generation, talks about how his mindset made all the difference in his performances. 'Sports makes you live in the moment' is just one of the lessons Patrick says that his career has drummed into him. Bonus content: He and Anastasia also share a laugh about the time he did an axel wearing Anastasia's mum's dull old hockey skates.

Dr Randy Gregg, Captain of Hockey's Team Canada, met olympian speed skater Kathy Vogt at the Lake Placid games. Together they have raised three more incredible athletes, and coached countless others to Olympian heights. So what are the secrets to nurturing a genetic gift...and raising kids to be the best- and best adjusted- athletes they can be? This family has done everything right. Nobody's preaching here, but there's wisdom that any parent could use.

The former captain of Team USA, Julie Chu has an unbelievable four olympic campaigns under her belt. Despite the ferocious rivalry between Canada and USA - Chu and Montreal's Caroline Oullette have a daughter together, and an agreement to compartmentalize that one international grudge. Chu shares wise perspective on the women's game, and its winning fight for fair treatment and compensation.

One of Canada's greatest net keepers won't let penalties or politics pass her without a fight. Labbe had the chops for the premiere development league but got barred by a men-only ruling. So the Canadian national player moved to the top Swedish pro league, where she's thriving, thanks. Want to know her secret strategy for world cup 2019 and the Tokyo Olympics? It's right her.

In a sport where money is literally the measure of success, this rodeo star's life changed the instant he won a cool million bucks in a single day's competition. The young bareback rider suddenly had to cope with expectations and pressures to perform like never before. Meantime- Rodeo itself is in transition. Sorta like golf, it has suddenly become the arena of very fit athletes, and more and more sponsor dollars are sloshing around. But if wild horses can't throw Richmond off...neither should physical trainers and accountants. He and Anastasia talk about the rodeo life, career cowboys and the slippery allure of a Texas accent.

His speed on the Oval ought to be enough for everyone, but Gilmore Junio's big choices are what sets him apart for Canadian fans. He seemed to embody everything good about the Olympian ideal in 2014, when Junio elected to give up his own qualifying spot to teammate Denny Morrison, in order that his friend could race for a medal. More recently, Junio's decision to take his training to Norway after years of working in the Canadian system raised eyebrows too. Gil's fine with that. The question now is what bold choices does the future hold?