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Classroom Champions (Image Credit: Classroom Champions social media)
By Tanner Smith
Classroom Champions

Canadian Olympian visiting Fox Creek School this week

Apr 14, 2026 | 1:41 PM

Fox Creek Regional School is taking part in the Classroom Champions program this year.

As part of that program, three-time Canadian Olympic Basketball player Michelle Plouffe was assigned as the school’s Classroom Athlete-Mentor, and has already had a few online calls with kids over the past year, sharing her own stories within sports about building a “mindset of a champion,” and the skills that come with that.

“On these calls, there was a lot of Q&A, which was a lot of fun. So it was the kids asking me a bunch of questions and just sharing some stories. We get to teach the kids, but in real-life examples, of most of the time failures, because that’s what I think is a big part that (success) maybe kids don’t see a lot of, is the failures part of the success journey, if you want to call it that.”

Plouffe adds that questions range from “can you dunk” to more in-depth stuff about overcoming struggles and integrity.

As part of this program, Plouffe who is from Edmonton, will be making the trip up to visit students in person on Thursday Apr. 16, something she is really looking forward too; “And I’m excited to get into classrooms and have some more, intimate and personal conversations where it’s not like the whole school, but it’s just classroom of, junior high kids and really digging into, okay, where are you at? And where are you trying to go? And how does this mindset of being a champion help them thrive, not only in school, but also in their life as well?”

She adds that visits like this are important to her as kids sometimes “need to see what’s possible, to know it’s possible,” and shares the belief that “where you start does not determine where you finish.”

Plouffe says growing up she always had a role model showing her the way, and wants to now do that for the next generation.

“I have an older sister who really paved the way, so it was easy for me to look to someone because I had that visibly in front of me of like, ‘oh, okay, now we do this and now we do this.’ And it may not have always been like verbally spoken, but I saw someone walk down the path, and so I just like to be a lid lifter for anyone I can.”

Plouffe says she is also hoping they can have some time for a few games, and “maybe get in the gym and so some fun stuff aswell.”

Anyone wanting more information about the Classroom Champions program can visit their website.

by Tanner Smith