By Kim Hutchison
Staff Reporter:
On Oct. 28, special guest speaker and author Lorna Schultz-Nicholson was at Diamond Willow Middle School to speak to students about the importance of hard work, determination and dedication and to read excerpts from her eight book series which exemplify the message.
She read from one of her earlier books titled “Interference” about the main character, Josh, whose unexplainable tiredness severely affects his game. It is uncovered that he has Type 1 diabetes and the remainder of the book addresses how Josh copes with his diagnosis while trying to balance the demands of the competitive hockey world.
Each book in the series, which has come to a conclusion with the release of her latest book “Holding”, is filled with hockey action which she researches through the players she is in direct contact with which is part of her everyday life as wife of Bob Nicholson, president of Hockey Canada and independent research she conducts to best convey the ordeal each character undergoes.
Schultz-Nicholson wrote this series for multiple reasons.
“There aren’t enough boys reading today, perhaps because there is isn’t enough that specifically appeals to them,” said Shultz-Nicholson. “These are short, easy and entertaining reads about a sport that is such a big part of Canada. There’s also moral to every story outside of the arena which keeps kids reading and learning.”
She has also been able to attend the Olympics, Paralympics, World Juniors and World Championships and shared reflections from these experiences throughout her presentation, experiences that have prompted her to write additional books including one about the Men’s Paralympic sledge hockey win in 2006 in Torino titled “Fighting for Gold” is expected to hit the shelves early next year.
Schultz-Nicholson has been a television co-host and reporter, theatre actor, fitness instructor and rowing coach now devoting her time to being a full-time mother of three and author, but her success as a writer didn’t happen overnight. She wrote for roughly 10 years before something was ever published and emphasized the importance of trying for what you believe in.
“I have a thick stack of rejection letters saved at home and I plan to cut them up and wallpaper them to a wall so I can look at it and remember that I kept going until my first publication in 2004,” she said. “Everyone has a different path and can find success in some way and it’s will power and perseverance that can get you there.”