The Shoreline Newspaper
Newfoundland
September 28, 1998

Credit Avondale-born Glen Doyle for introducing world champion figure skater, Elvis Stojko, to kung Fu. Doyle, whose family moved to Toronto when he was four, knows his stuff: he's North American champion and three-time Canadian Kung Fu champion who helps many athletes, including hockey players, learn martial arts. Glen returned to Newfoundland for a couple of weeks to join in the Terry Fox Walk from Conception Bay North to Holyrood, a walk in memory of his late father, Greg Doyle, who died of cancer a few months ago. "My dad taught me boxing when I was four but I didn't start martial arts training until I was 16 or 17," said Glen. The 33-year-old has come a long way in the martial arts world. He has been teaching Stojko martial arts for the past seven years. "It's to try to help him on the ice with his muscle explosion. I choreographed his program when he did his Kung Fu program in 1994 in Lillehammer." Glen also works with some junior hockey players who have all the right skills but have trouble adjusting to the rough Canadian style. "Parents come to me and say, 'Glen, my kid has great talent and knows how to put the puck in the net but he's not tough enough for the game'. I work with them for two or three weeks and I tell parents that if they don't see a difference within one week, they don't have to pay me because I stand behind what I teach. I haven't had a dissatisfied customer yet, so..." The literal translation of Kung Fu is "hard work" and Glen attributes Stojko's martial arts experience as being helpful on the ice too, particularly after the painful groin injury he skated with during the Olympics. "It links the mind, body and spirit together so that everything works together rather than separately," said Glen. Indeed, he credits his martial arts background as having a profound influence on his ability to cope with his father's terminal illness. "It was very very stressful. I had a lot of things going on in my life that I wanted to share with him but it didn't last. I have a book being done in the States, a film next year...a lot of things are happening that I wish he were around to share but I know he's watching and laughing." Glen promised his father he would carry on the Terry Fox Walk from CB North to Holyrood, an event Greg started when he moved back to Newfoundland. "He was happy about that and that was enough for me," said Glen. "There were parts of the trail where I was fine but during other parts I remembered walking with him and that would hit hard. There were times I almost turned around to talk to him." The event reached an emotional peak as the east walkers approached the west walkers in Holyrood. "That was the hardest and everybody was in tears. It was really hard for my mom because it was the final leg of the walk. We just hugged each other and remembered him."

 
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