On February 12, 2010, the Opening Ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, AdFarm Calgary hosted our very own Olympian. A luncheon in Kerry Dankers honour was a great way to say thanks and celebrate the last four years.

Kerry has been speed skating since she was a little girl in Melville, Saskatchewan. She represented Canada in numerous World Cup championships over the years and competed in the Turin Olympics in 2006. That same year she began a partnership with Dow AgroSciences and Nexera canola.

Nexera began by announcing the sponsorship and Kerry’s goal of making it to the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. In the following years, Kerry’s image and spirit was included in the advertising campaign for Nexera — she personified the brand. Dedication, hard work and healthy living are what Kerry and Nexera Canola represent.

Although she didn’t make her goal of competing in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games, everyone who has been involved in the sponsorship for the last four years has been impressed by Kerry’s commitment, work ethic and sense of humour.

Now she is ready to embark on the next chapter – retiring from speed skating and moving to the Netherlands with her husband Arne, where he will work towards his PhD in Electrical Engineering and she will learn Dutch and maybe start a family…

Kerry shared her Dad’s words of wisdom in her speech to the group, “How many people can say they know an Olympic athlete, or know someone who knows an Olympic athlete?” We are very fortunate to be among the lucky few, and she is everything you would expect from a small town girl from Melville, Sask. who made it to the top in amateur sports!

We wish Kerry and Arne all the best in the future.