Jon Montgomery
Jon Montgomery delighted Canadians by winning Gold in Men's Skeleton at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Now, as host of The Amazing Race Canada, he is a charming ambassador for our country’s most beautiful sights. Whether he’s in snowy Nunavut, on a lentil farm in Saskatchewan, or on stage presenting a keynote speech, Montgomery is genuinely funny and always inspiring.
Proudly Canadian, Jon Montgomery says that being the host of The Amazing Race Canada has given him an even greater appreciation for the country. “I already had a profound sense I was a lucky man to be Canadian, but doing this show, you get to meet other Canadians, you get to see how they interact with the racers and a sense of commonality amongst the people.”
In February 2009, Montgomery won the Whistler World Cup, which served as the test event for the Vancouver Olympics. At that time, he called the victory the highlight of his career, adding that it was especially meaningful to win at home in front of family and friends. But what he really yearned for was Olympic gold. At the 2010 Olympics, he defended his home track once more, but this time, he did it in front of the world. The now infamous video of Montgomery chugging a pitcher of beer while walking through the streets of Whistler surrounded by screaming fans is sure to go down in Canadian lore.
It was Montgomery's natural curiosity that launched his Skeleton career. Wandering through Calgary Olympic Park years ago, he saw a Skeleton racer whip by at top speed. Fearing it was a Luge accident, he inquired as to what the sport was all about at the visitor's centre. He immediately signed up for a "discover session" and began his long journey to Olympic gold. He won his first World Cup event in January 2008, and also won a silver medal at the World Championships that same year, finishing the season ranked second overall on the World Cup. Some called it quick success, but Montgomery sees things differently. He's been sliding since 2002, but didn't experience his first win until the 2007/2008 World Cup tour. As he says.. "I had my butt handed to me on countless occasions when I first started."
- Topics
- Dreaming Big: Living BiggerWhile Jon always wanted to be a Canadian National Team athlete, he didn't know which sport it would be in! Keeping his eyes wide open, living outside his comfort zone, trying new things and accepting the challenges that presented themselves enabled him to find his passion and his opportunity to realize his dreams. Jon's story will inspire others to go after what they're looking for, no matter how daunting a task it may at first seem.
- Innovation and RealismWhile we must be realistic about the things in life we can't change, there are always ways in which we can optimize ourselves and our situations through creative thinking and innovation. Unless you're moving forward, you're getting left behind!
- Jon's Olympic Journey
The story of how a small town boy from Manitoba, who grew up playing hockey and idolizing his home town hero, Theo Fleury (the smallest guy to ever play in the NHL) inspired him to become an Olympic Champion.
- Self Efficacy
Jon explains the secrets that helped him achieve the confidence to follow and achieve his dreams, and how you can, too.
- TeamworkIn an individual sport like skeleton, one's success as an athlete is directly tied to their ability to work collaboratively with their team. Jon explains the importance of teamwork in our families, workplaces, or communities.
