Years spent competing in the high-stakes world of professional skiing, have given Cameron Smith a unique perspective when it comes to performing under pressure. When Cameron introduced SafeStart to a group of grade 10 students at Reynolds Secondary on March 29 and 30, he relied on his competitive experience to educate his audience on the link between safety and performance. Students and teachers were “very impressed with the lively presentation format and use of videos showcasing high performance athletes in some exciting sports to convey a message of safety.”
Sharing stories of his own close calls on the slopes, Cameron spoke about how rushing, frustration, fatigue and complacency are involved in over 95% of all accidents. Students found that learning about the four states that cause you to make critical errors was worthwhile.
Teacher Liane Lyle was especially impressed with the story of X-Games gold medalist Simon D’Artois “who explained that the simple steps designed to help him avoid injury had actually helped him to become a better competitor, because he was training himself to be more focused.” She went on to say, “that is a huge discovery and a skill that all students who adopt the steps taught in the program will benefit from.”
Cameron focused on giving the participants skills and knowledge they could put into practice immediately. Students are exposed to more distraction than ever before, and introducing students to SafeStart in schools will keep them safe from injuries, and adequately prepare them for the hazards they’ll face in life—at work, at home, in sports, in the community and on the road.
Some of the benefits of a SafeStart implementation in schools include:
- drastic reduction in student and staff injuries
- less class-time missed
- more attentive students
- fewer administrative headaches
- reduced workers’ compensation premiums
- a stronger safety culture
- develop more safety-ready candidates for employers
After Cameron’s presentation, the students were survey and 97% said they learned new tools they could implement to improve their safety and performance.
SafeStart can be implemented in a variety of classroom and group settings. Every implementation includes:
- in-person teacher and student training by an experienced safety consultant
- an appealing learning format
- proven results
- hands-on support
- program that accommodates different learning abilities
- flexible delivery times
- affordable pricing model for educators
Cameron finished his presentation with a strong call for students to start noticing rushing, frustration, fatigue and complacency in their own lives and in the lives of those around them. By simply looking around the halls of their school and noticing how others are not paying attention, students can take the first steps to shift their own personal safety.
Learn more about how SafeStart provides students with practical safety skills and better personal awareness:
- Watch video testimonials and stories
- Read letters from educators on the effects of SafeStart in schools
- Contact Cam Smith to hear firsthand about his experience at Reynolds Secondary
Register for a free on-demand webinar to better understand the concepts discussed in SafeStart.