WATERLOO, Ont. - Relationships are built on trust.
Kimberly Shillington knows all about what constitutes an affiliation because it's what she does day after day. For her, it's a career that involves working with others on items like confidence, expectations, and assurance.
As a youngster growing up in the charming village peninsula of Erieau, located close to Lake Erie and about a 20-minute drive from Chatham, Shillington had always imagined a future that would involve education.
Now, the owner of a degree in Kinesiology and Physical Education (Honors) from Wilfrid Laurier University, some would say that's far from a school classroom. Others would be correct in expressing that she is indeed an educator, but in a distinctive way and with her own study hall.
While the university memories feel like yesterday, it has been some 20 years since Shillington took her final stroll off the Laurier graduation stage and set foot on a career that makes people feel good. Can't go wrong with that as a profession.
"I tell my clients that their body is a great thing, like magic, and will do amazing things," said Shillington, who studies the dynamics of human movement like anatomy as well as the physiological and neurological components.
"Turns out that getting stuck in a classroom wouldn't have worked for me and what I do now is help people learn about areas that can cause problems for them – the knees, hamstrings, wrist injuries and more."
Shillington is a registered kinesiologist doing exercise rehabilitation at the McLauchlin Wellness Clinic in Blenheim, a community about 10 minutes from her home. Yes, she still resides in Erieau, known more as a cool village that boasts some great fishing.
One of her clients is Canadian Paralympian Alex Hyndman, a cyclist who competed in three World Road championships.
"I love my job and remind people that anytime you can move your body, it's a good thing," she said. "It's important to stay active, healthy and to get attention when there are concerns."
A bit of irony is that her current boss, Dr. Michael McLauchlin, was also her hockey coach when she was in elementary school. Moving on to her teen years, she was a multi-sport athlete at Blenheim District High. However, she stopped high school sports to focus on a pathway to greater success by playing in the Ontario Women's Hockey League.
It wasn't long until Shillington had to decide about post-secondary education.
Several universities knew about her talent on the ice, and that resulted in quite a bit of interest from recruiting coaches. If it was geographic proximity, universities in Windsor and London were close to home. Neither, however, could match up to Laurier.
"There was something about Laurier – the small class sizes, the education program that I wanted, professors knew my first name, it was a great community, felt like home and I just loved everything about Laurier," said Shillington. "Looking back now, I don't regret my choice. It was a fabulous experience. When I left, it was with so much more than I had expected."
For the record, her father also went to Laurier and played varsity hockey. Given the opportunity, she asked for and received the same jersey, number 3, that he wore for the Golden Hawks.
Shillington's experience on the ice for Laurier may not be noted in the history of Laurier hockey. She played defence, a stay-at-home player, whose job was keeping other teams far away from her goalie and depriving them of scoring opportunities.
In her five years at Laurier (the fifth year was for courses offered every other year), academics were top marks. On the ice, she earned enough medals to open a jewellery store. A necklace of gold, silver and three bronze on a hockey program that was among the best in the Canadian university game.
A flashback of success also showed her strong leadership skills on the ice that were vital in provincial and national opportunities. If that wasn't enough, Shillington was a co-winner of the Rookie of the Year award and a second team Ontario University Athletics (OUA) all-star.
"For me, it was quite emotional leaving Laurier," she said. "But I completed what I came for – a great education and a chance to play hockey. When I see the medals on my wall, I smile thinking about great memories, times, and friends."
Shillington is the latest Golden Hawk being featured in the "Laurier Grads Soar" feature. It's a series by the Laurier Athletic and Recreation Department to salute alumni who, after impressive years combing academic and sport success, now are community leaders in many ways.
There is also something else that's very important to Shillington – friendship. Having lost a close friend several years ago to cancer, Shillington has a "love button". It's slightly bigger than a lapel pin and commits to taking a daily picture emphasizing her love for life, friends, nature, and family.
David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada's major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 45+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations. He is also the recipient of the 2021 USPORTS Fred Sgambati Media Award.
