NFL star Laurent Duvernay-Tardif visits St. Michaels University School to champion student nutrition and wellness

MONTREAL, April 19, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Professional football player and Medical School Graduate Laurent Duvernay-Tardif is visiting St. Michaels University School (SMUS), Victoria, BC to engage students as part of Sodexo’s Powering Athletic Performance program. The 2020 Super Bowl champion is hosting on-campus and virtual visits that focus on healthy eating, how food improves cognitive function, concentration, and energy, and the importance of physical activity.

“I'm excited to speak with students during SMUS’s Health and Wellness Week, and inspire them to make positive choices,” said Laurent Duvernay-Tardif. “By fueling our bodies with the right foods, we can improve our ability to concentrate, increase our energy levels, and ultimately achieve our goals.”

Powering Performance is an innovative health and wellness program for young people that pairs access to fresh, diverse, exciting meals with easy-to-understand nutrition education. It draws on young people’s increasing curiosity about food and its impact on their body and health. Students learn how different foods can sustain them both physically and mentally, empowering them to make smart, healthy decisions both now and in the future.

“As a professional athlete and a scholar, Laurent knows the science behind nutrition and how food can fuel greatness in students and athletes,” said Stephanie Aubin, Director of Communications, Sodexo Canada. “We take pride in our Powering Performance program as a platform to educate and empower students, and a football star who is also a medical school graduate is the ideal ambassador.”

Duvernay-Tardif will be speaking at an event as part of SMUS’s Health and Wellness Week on April 21, 2023, from 11:40am – 12:25pm. In addition to his keynote address to students, attendees can sample fresh meals and food prepared by Sodexo.

About Laurent Duvernay-Tardif

Duvernay-Tardif received Sports Illustrated’s 2020 Sportsperson of the Year award, the 2021 ESPY Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award and was named the co-winner of the 2020 Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s Athlete of the Year. He has also been Quebec’s spokesperson for Hooked on School Days since 2019.

A native of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Quebec, he grew up in the Montreal area. When asked to choose between football and medicine, he refused to compromise and pursued both of his dreams. In 2018, he graduated from McGill University with a doctorate in medicine while also playing professional football for the Kansas City Chiefs. As he tells young people he meets during the many talks he gives at schools: It’s all about balance. Don’t give up on your passions!

Believing that both physical activity and creativity are fundamental factors in children’s development and educational success, he and his long-time partner, Florence-Agathe Dubé-Moreau, established the Laurent Duvernay-Tardif Foundation. With Move, Motivate, Inspire as its motto, it promotes balancing sports, arts and studies.

About St. Michaels University School

Located in the city of Victoria, British Columbia, St. Michaels University School is a leading Canadian independent day (Kindergarten to Grade 12) and boarding (Grade 8 to 12) school. With a global reputation for academic excellence, students from around the world enjoy the challenge of an extensive curriculum, including Canada’s largest Advanced Placement program. Intellectual stimulation combined with exceptional athletic, performing arts, outdoor education, extracurricular and leadership programs make SMUS the place where motivated students cultivate their full potential in everything they do. Boarders enjoy access to activities exclusive to an urban centre – sporting events, concerts, galleries and museums – while endless outdoor pursuits are offered nearby.

About Sodexo

Sodexo delivers a wide range of customized solutions, designed to optimize work and living environments. Sodexo has been providing food and facilities management services in Canada for over 40 years, with a focus on enhancing safety, work process and well-being. Sodexo is a market leader in Canada. Sodexo has been recognized as a top employer for the past seven consecutive years. Sodexo is proud to have created the Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, an independent charitable organization that has raised over $3 million to fight hunger and donated more than one million meals to at-risk youth across Canada since 2007.

Key Figures

Contact

Media
Stephanie Aubin
[email protected]