Cougars: A legacy of leadership

" 'We' over 'me.' "

Meet Jamie. Driven. Resilient. Leader.
Hometown: Red Deer, AB
Degree: Health and Physical Education | Major: Physical Literacy

Many students view graduation as a culmination of years of hard work, late nights and gruelling assignments – the finish line. For student-athlete Jamie Lalor, captain of the women’s basketball team and president of the Cougars Athlete Board, convocation is a launching point.

Lalor came to Mount Royal University in 2019 for the health and physical education degree. Having grown up around the athletics world, a physical literacy major was a natural fit.

“I was super interested in how the body worked, so I knew that's where I wanted to go. I wasn't really sure of my path, but figured starting in this area would be good,” she explains.

She promptly joined the Cougars and was quick to show off her grit.

“As a rookie, she was very quiet off the court but always an extremely hard worker,” recalls Head Coach Robyn Fleckenstein.

Lalor’s second season on the team was a scratch due to the pandemic, but Fleckenstein says it was year three where Lalor really began to flourish.

“She led us in so many statistical categories, but even more importantly, she led us culturally to a new place that the program had never been in before.”

Fleckenstein says that season, the coaching staff knew they’d chosen the right captain when naming Lalor, who was an Academic All-Canadian every year of her MRU career.

“Jamie is the epitome of a servant leader. She’s first in the gym and last to leave. She takes care of and builds relationships with each of her teammates. She is a thoughtful, considerate ambassador of both our school and our program.”

Lalor’s formula for success? A “we” over “me” attitude.

“The team comes first. In the end, what decision am I going to make that's going to make the team succeed, make the team better?” says MRU women’s basketball’s all-time assists leader.

“[My personal goals] don't necessarily matter. It's the team as a whole that matters more. Having that mindset is how we get through challenges.”

While Lalor certainly learned lots while working toward her degree – movement classes being among her favourite to attend – the biggest takeaways came from being sidelined.

“One of my biggest challenges was tearing my ACL and then having to be a cheerleader for a full season. That was very difficult because I couldn't make an impact on the floor, but just had to find ways to be a part of the team, continue to lead and help my teammates succeed,” she shares, adding that while the learning curve was steep, she gained a lot.

“I learned a lot about who I wanted to be as a human. [Being injured] was one of my biggest challenges, but also something I'm most proud of because that's where I saw the most growth.”

She took everything she learned while leading from the bench and put it into practice on the hardwood.

“Life’s not linear. There are steps back. There are going to be battles you have to face and sometimes you don't think you're going to be strong enough. Put your head down and get after it.”

She says everything will work out in the end, even if it’s not the outcome you expected.

“You have to be resilient. You have to continue to learn and you have to continue to grow day in and day out to get to where you want to be.”

In the classroom, Lalor’s educators earned assists, but one in particular is putting up the most points: Dr. David Legg, PhD, professor of Sport Management and Adapted Physical Activity.

“We always say that he doesn't lecture, per se, but he teaches you life lessons. Learning from him and seeing his journey… that kind of got me onto the road of maybe working in sport one day. He's shaped where I want to take the next steps in my life.”

What’s next for the Brian Fleming Award and Iron Cougar Award recipient? The self-proclaimed “average Joe” is waiting for her moment.

“I'd love to stay in the sport industry,whether it's like game day operations, or maybe moving into physio or chiro. Right now, I'm just trying to wait for my wave.”

Her parting words of wisdom to new students before the final buzzer sounds on her time at MRU: put yourself out there.

“Go meet new people. Go try out new things. For most people coming to university, this is their first time here and they have no idea what they're doing either,” she says.

“The people you meet at university will change your life and they will help you grow into the human you're meant to be.”