BRANDON – Practice makes perfect. Linda Edwards did not coin the phrase, but she suggests taking that advice to the bank. She believes it whole-heartedly.
"Training is a grind, but you have got to love it because if you do not love the training you are not going to stay in the game. You have got to love the grind."
Edwards made her first trip to Brandon in 1979 for the Canada Winter Games where she represented Ontario in basketball. Edwards and the team earned a silver medal after finishing runner-up to Quebec in the final.
"We got these beautiful winter coats from Ontario and I needed it because it was darn cold. I had no idea that I would end up in Brandon the next year."
Former Bobcat coach Bill Moody and Athletic Director George Birger quickly went to work after the Canada Games to bring the best prospects back to BU. Linda, from Ottawa, Ont., was at the top of their recruiting list.
"Coach Moody just made a cold call really. Lets pull all of these players together and have a bit of an adventure."
Edwards established herself as a top scorer and rebounder in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. She was named a league all-star all three years she played from 1979-1982. Edwards was recognized as BU's Female Athlete of the Year, team MVP and earned the prestigious H. Stuart Perdue Award for sportsmanship over the course of her career.
In 1980-81, Edwards and the Bobcats finished in second-place with a 12-and-4 record and narrowly missed a trip to nationals after a two-point loss to the Winnipeg Wesmen in the GPAC Final.
"Stepping up and competing is what I would like to be remembered for. We played a lot of two point games against teams that went to nationals. We became very competitive overnight."
Edwards earned her teaching certificate and an academic scholarship at BU. She used that to complete her masters degree at the University of British Columbia. She also played one season with the UBC Thunderbirds and finished second on the team in scoring.
Linda married fellow basketball star, Robert Forsyth, who is also a former Canada West all-star and Male Athlete of the Year at UBC.
The Forsyth family has three daughters, Genevieve, Louise and Isabelle.
Louise is playing NCAA Division 1 basketball with the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Before that, she was named B.C.'s top high school player in 2016-17 and spent two summers with the Canadian national team.
A return trip to Brandon was nearly booked when Isabelle qualified for the Legion National Youth Track and Field Championships this past summer. At the same time, Isabelle was among the top-30 prospects in North America invited to an evaluation camp in Washington, D.C. and the Forsyth's chose to attend that event instead.
Regardless of the sport, Linda has encouraged her daughters to succeed with an familiar old adage.
"Every practice is more important than any game. Whatever you practice in a team setting you have to practice on your own. The girls have done that in preparation for their success, so there is a work ethic there and that is really important. Also, make sure you are grateful to the coach; develop a relationship with your coach based on mutual value and respect. Let them see your work ethic and every coach will respect that."
Linda recently retired after a 30-year teaching career. She started in North Vancouver and later Calgary and Yellowknife before returning to the west coast. She taught in Victoria and then Vancouver for the final 13 years of her career.
"Have passion for what you are doing and show your passion in that moment. That is what carried me through all of those years."
Brandon University's impact on Linda's life has carried through in similar fashion.
"I am very grateful that I earned a very good degree. The professors and especially my coaches taught me how to instruct, how to make one another more skilled through drills and play, and most importantly, how to give back to my school and community. That is probably the best legacy that a university could give is to prepare their students to go out and do the job that they studied."
