Cambrian College badminton player Jody Carruthers doesn't how
to quit, even when she has been defeated.
Carruthers enjoyed an impressive rookie campaign in the Ontario
Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA), racking up a big haul of
medals from major competitions.
After a great regular season, Carruthers broke out at the
provincial college championships by winning gold and earned the
right to represent Ontario at the national championships.
She followed up by winning a bronze medal at the Canadian
Colleges Athletic Association (CCAA) championships. Carruthers
was the only player from Team Ontario to win a medal.
Carruthers won the provincial gold by beating the 2007 Player
of the Year Margaret Myjak.
"I did well this year," Carruthers said modestly. "I was just
happy to get to go to nationals. I had an idea I would beat
Margaret. I played her in open adult tournaments before and
never lost to her. I was really happy to get my name on a
banner for the school. Winning a medal at the national level
was exciting for me. People now recognize me as a threat in
badminton."
Although Carruthers never lost to Myjak in open events, the
OCAA provincials were a different story.
"Jody knew her hardest competition would come from Myjak," said
Cambrian College head coach Tim Yu. "During the round robin,
Jody lost in three games to her. She did not let that get to
her and came out flying to avenge the loss in the final."
Despite not winning gold at nationals, Carruthers gained a
wealth of experience. (She lost the silver medal match, but
bounced right back to win the bronze.)
"Jody took the loss well and understood what that game meant…it
was not defeat," said Yu. "She belonged there. In the bronze
medal match, she just dominated. She played like she was in the
gold medal match. As a coach, to see your player perform their
very best, putting all the training and hard work was sure like
winning the lottery."
Carruthers puts the weight of the world on her shoulders when
she's competing. It's the only way she knows how to
compete.
"I expect nothing but the best out of myself every time I
play," said the 18-year-old. "When I go into tournaments, I
want to win. I expect to win the gold. I usually do well. I do
my best, and if it's not enough, I just try even harder next
time. Next year, I want to do a lot better."
Carruthers has an abundance of natural talent and
determination.
"Jody's skills are raw," said Yu. "She has had formal training,
but there's more work to be done. Her strength would be her
drive/stubbornness, depending on how you look at it. Although
it interferes in training every once and a while, during
competition, she refuses to give up and tries her best to win.
She learns quickly and uses her new-found knowledge to help
herself grow and become an even better person than she already
is."
Carruthers loves the fact badminton gives her something to
strive for besides an education. She draws inspiration not only
from within herself, but from another close source.
"I have extra motivation to make my parents proud," said the
travel and tourism student. "They've been very supportive. My
dad has coached me. I've been playing for 10 years. Whenever
there's been a tournament, he has driven me and paid for the
fees. He's given up a lot of his time…I respect that. He's
always been there, pushing me to do my best."
Carruthers enjoys the fact badminton isn't a place for posers
and hard work is always rewarded.
"You have to train very hard to be good in this sport…and it
shows when you've put in a lot of time and effort," said the
Mississauga native. "It's a respected sport."
