Lin Chen, North York, ON

It was the boldest decision Lin Chen had ever made, but she knew before her was an extraordinary opportunity she simply couldn’t pass up. The year was 1989 when Lin left China to pursue her Master’s Degree of Physical Education in Canada. Not only did she earn her MPE, but she also fell in love with the dynamic lifestyle, vast freedom and endless opportunity she discovered in Canada. It was a perfect fit for her active, driven personality. Lin then made another bold decision – this time not to go back. She’d found “home” and she wasn’t about to give it up. Anyone who knows Lin well will probably tell you this story comes as no surprise. She’s been an extremely driven person since she was a very young girl. At just seven years of age, she would wake up every day at 4:30 am to walk herself 20 minutes to gymnastics lessons before school. She was somewhat of a gymnastics prodigy and was accepted to the Beijing University of Physical Education by the time she was 16.