Looking back on my early years (we're talking 1980's here, people!), I remember harbouring a fondness of learning and an eagerness to do well in school. I excelled in many subject areas and I was proud of it. Sometimes too proud. I am quite certain I annoyed many of my peers and even some of my teachers by making a point of correcting their mistakes whenever I could. Needless to say, my social skills were somewhat lacking and making friends didn't come easily. Recess time proved to be a challenge since I would often be left out or picked on. Sure, I could skip rope and play ball just as well as the rest of them but, having moved to a new school in grade 2, it was hard to muster the courage and self-confidence to ask to join in the fun. Later, I spent many of my recesses volunteering in the kindergarten room or helping out the secretary. It wasn't until I joined the senior girls volleyball team that things began to change.

Now, allow me to clarify that volleyball wasn't my best sport. I made the cut as a sub who would fill in if someone couldn't make it to the game. There were two of us and we often joked about how poorly she and I played. As nerve-racking as it was to actually take a spot on the court, I realize now that it was such a worthwhile experience. Those two years on the team helped to solidify a bond with a true friend, my oldest and dearest friend, who's father would often drive us to the games since I had no other alternative. And because of our friendship, I was able to feel more confident in myself despite my poor volleyball skills. Because what better way to get over the fear of failure than by taking that risk with a close friend and even sometimes succeeding?

Did you know that 1 in 3 Canadian kids can't play the sports they want to due to financial barriers?

Canadian Tire Jumpstart is a national charity that helps financially disadvantaged families give their kids the opportunity to participate in organized sport and recreation. Jumpstart helps cover registration fees, equipment and/or transportation costs.

Since the inception in 2005, Canadian Tire Jumpstart has given more than 720,000 kids across Canada the chance to play. Canadian Tire Jumpstart is dedicated to removing financial barriers, so children can participate in organized sport and recreation.

Jumpstart’s signature fundraising campaign, the Jumpstart Red Ball campaign has been taking place throughout the month of May. The month-long program raises donations, with 100% of the funds staying in the community in which they are raised. Canadian Tire stores and their partners invite customers to support kids in their local community by making a $2 donation in exchange for a little red Jumpstart ball.

100% of customer donations go directly to help kids in financial need participate in organized sport and recreation.

The Canadian Tire Corporation funds all the general and administrative expenses as well as the program delivery costs of the Canadian Tire Jumpstart program.

To find out more and get the facts, visit Canadian Tire Jumpstart.

Prizes: Available to Canadian Residents Only, but all are welcome to the party. RSVP below to be eligible to win {Canadian Tire Gift Cards and merchandise}. We’ll be talking about the Red Ball campaign and getting kids to participate in sports activities as well as chatting with celebrity guests!

RSVP: Make sure to enter your Twitter Handle “@yourTwitterhandle” in the Link/Blog Title field, and Twitter URL “www.twitter.com/yourtwitterhandle” in the url Field*

New to Twitter and/or Twitter parties? I have written the following tutorials to help you out, complete with screenshots:

If I could have chosen to dedicate myself to a single sport as a child, it likely would have been figure skating. Swimming would have been a close second. Looking back on my youth, should the circumstances had been different, I probably could have excelled at a sport if I had been able to dedicate myself fully to it. The problem wasn't any lack of motivation but rather the inevitable reality that both of my parents had to work long hours in order to provide for us, their children. As immigrants, all they really knew was the life of hard labour. Joining a sports team was never on their radar. Instead, they appreciated the value of a hard-earned dollar and preached how important it was to be debt-free. They did not have any insurance benefits and therefore had to pay for all of our dental, health and vision costs out of pocket. The idea of spending money on expensive sports equipment or costly recreational fees was unfathomable, let alone finding the time in their busy work schedules to taxi us around to practices or games.

Nevertheless, whenever it was time for the Olympic Games, our family could often be found sitting together in the living room marveling over the accomplishments of our nation's top athletes. It was a time for me to live vicariously through my figure skating idols, to dream about what it must feel like to land a perfect triple axel, to shed a tear of pride as they accepted their medals whilst the Canadian flag hung in the background.

There is no denying that sports play an important role in shaping a child’s life. However, the reality is that 1 in 3 Canadian families cannot afford to get their kids involved in sports and recreation. Jumpstart, a nationally registered charity, aims to help kids experience the joy of participating in sports and develop the life skills inherent in doing so. Kids aged 4-18 are given a sporting chance through Jumpstart, which covers costs associated with registration, equipment and/or transportation. Since 2005, Jumpstart has helped almost 700,000 kids (and counting) get in the game. And 100% of donations to Jumpstart go straight to achieve their vision of helping equip kids for life and directing them towards a better future. Together we can help all kids play!

This year, Canadian Tire Jumpstart is proud to have 10 Olympic Ambassadors attending the Winter Games in Sochi. To show their support, Canadian Tire and Sport Chek will be donating $5,000 to Jumpstart for every goal scored by one of the Jumpstart Olympic Ambassadors. These Ambassadors include Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby, Hayley Wickenheiser, Meaghan Mikkelson and Maëlle Ricker, who was named one of the top 10 most influential snowboarders of all time and brought home an Olympic Gold medal in 2010 and World Cup Gold in 2013. To learn more about the Ambassadors, visit the Ambassadors tab on Jumpstart’s Facebook page.

In honour of the Olympic Winter Games, Jumpstart has launched the Podium Predictor. Submit your total medal count prediction for the Canadian Olympic Team before February 20 to be entered to WIN 1 of 17 daily prizes or a Grand Prize of a $250 Canadian Tire shopping spree!

To help get you into the spirit of the Games, you could also win this Jumpstart prize pack valued at $110. It includes: