As an imposing six-foot-three Olympian, who patrolled the field-hockey pitch for Canada at the 2000 Sydney and 2008 Beijing Summer Games, Ravi Kahlon saw his share of rough-and-tumble tackles.
It helped the Victoria born and raised 38-year-old prepare for the equally rugged game of politics.
“There are lots of similarities because both sports and politics are process oriented,” said the graduate of Lambrick Park Secondary and freshly-minted MLA for Delta North.
“There are similar stresses in both.”
And, of course, there are some crucial differences.
“Sport is just sport,” added Kahlon, who had 240 caps for Canada.
“In politics, you are dealing with real issues. It is not a game. You are affecting people’s lives in society, and not just that of your teammates. This is a much bigger deal.”
Kahlon was among a trio of Island or Island-produced Olympians or Paralympians running in the recent provincial election. Kahlon won to become a rookie NDP MLA.
Former rower Dave Calder, a 2008 Beijing Olympics silver-medallist, ran for the Liberals in Saanich South and lost to Lana Popham of the NDP. Six-time Paralympics gold-medallist Michelle Stilwell retained her seat for the Liberals in Parksville-Qualicum.
“The sporting culture of the Island is hard to replicate and it spills over in so many other endeavours,” Kahlon said.
“There is a real sense of pride regarding amateur sport on the Island, and this is reflected on lacrosse floors and fields up and down, right up to the top international level with so many Olympians and Paralympians produced.”
Several national teams are centralized on the Island, including rugby, rowing, triathlon, swimming, track and mountain-biking. National-team athletes have to make life decisions regarding relocation.
The national field-hockey team is based in Vancouver.
“After four days of ferry travel a week, I realized I had to live on the Lower Mainland,” said Kahlon, who worked in banking for nine years. He and his wife, Lily, have a seven-year-old son, Naven.
“I settled in Delta, which is a place I found has the same sort of sporting culture as the Island.
“We are represented by two Olympians/Paralympians — Karla Qualtrough is our MP and I am the MLA. That is unique in Canada.”
Delta Liberal MP Qualtrough, a three-time Paralympics medallist and University of Victoria law school graduate, is the federal sport minister.
Kahlon said he and provincial NDP leader John Horgan talk ceaselessly about sports.
“He is a former lacrosse player who loves cricket after spending time in Australia. We have some really deep and long conversations about sports.”
Kahlon said he is supportive of a B.C. bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Victoria and Burnaby have expressed interest. Kahlon played in two Commonwealth Games for Canada, at Manchester in 2002 and Melbourne in 2006.
“That would be a huge boost to the province in terms of sports infrastructure,” he said.
“And, unlike the Olympics, these are manageable Games and can easily be hosted by smaller or mid-size communities.”
All of Kahlon’s sporting connections came in handy during the recent election, with several former national teammates helping in his campaign.
Triathlon legend and Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Simon Whitfield of Victoria recorded an endorsement video for Kahlon. The two became friends competing together in Olympics and Commonwealth Games from Sydney and Manchester to Beijing.
Kahlon won a B.C. high school basketball championship playing at Lambrick Park and remains an Island guy at heart.
“During high school basketball season, I still check the Lambrick Park scores,” he said.
The nicks, dents and warps on the garage door of his former Gordon Head home are evidence of the many hard-driving road-hockey games played with Canadian field-hockey team captain and fellow-Olympian Rob Short.
Now, it’s back to his hometown. But his new place of performance isn’t in Gordon Head. It’s on Belleville Street.
