Transcript: Bags 2 Riches — Georgia Simmerling | Simplii

[upbeat music]

[B2R with Simplii Financial] 

[Calgary, Alberta]

[Aerial view of the city of Calgary. In the foreground, the white Scotiabank Saddledome reflects the bright sun in the sky. In the distance, a few city blocks away, stands a large collection of high-rise buildings of various shapes, sizes and colours. The surrounding areas to the right, left and far distance are flat. Hundreds of cars are parked in large parking lots to the right of the Scotiabank Saddledome. The red observation deck of the 190-metre-tall Calgary Tower peeks just above the tops of the buildings.]

[Closer aerial view of the high-rise buildings in downtown Calgary.]

[A pedestrian bridge with a covered roof made of glass panels and crisscrossing red steel girders.] 

[Close up images of parts of a bicycle. First, the hub of a wheel with spokes leading out in all directions towards the rim. Next, the grip on a handlebar with a brake lever above and a gear shifting lever below. Finally, the back edge of a bicycle wheel with two spokes on opposite heading in opposite diagonal paths towards the centre of the wheel.]

[A grey-hued image of Georgia Simmerling, an athletic 30-something-year-old with shoulder-length blonde hair. Georgia is wearing a bike helmet and dark sunglasses riding towards the camera. In the distance stand several high-rise residential buildings.]

>>Georgia Simmerling: I’m Georgia Simmerling.

[Still images cycle. First, a still image of Georgia Simmerling wearing a Team Canada skinsuit riding a speed track bike with black wheels on the inside edge of a steeply sloped indoor cycling track. Next, Georgia and three other members of the Team Canada cycling team ride on their track bikes towards the camera. The two-forward most members hold a large Canadian flag between them. Finally, four female Team Canada athletes stand in red sweaters with a large white maple leaf on the right arm, the word “Canada” in white letters on a black band across the chest. The athletes all have bronze medals around their necks and are looking off to the top right of the image.]

I’m a four-time Canadian Olympic retired athlete. 

[Close-up of a pyramidal-shaped stone nameplate on the desk with the words “Georgia Simmerling Principal Agent - AG Sports”.]

AG Sports is my sports agency that I started after the 2020 Summer Olympic games, on my own. 

[Georgia is in an airy, open office space in her house. She is seated, looking at a laptop computer, typing on the keys.]

[Georgia is sitting on a cushioned bench working at a glass table within the house. On the table are two light pink laptop computers that are open. Georgia is talking on a cell phone looking at one of the computers. The walls behind are dark grey. This scene repeats frequently.]

[Georgia is seated in the house, giving an interview to the camera. Georgia is wearing aviator glasses with clear lenses. She has the top half of her shoulder-length hair pulled back into a ponytail. The wall directly behind Georgia is dark grey, with a bright white living room on the other side of the grey wall. This scene repeats frequently.]

[Georgia and her fiancé, Steph Labbé, are seated at the glass table working, talking and collaborating at the two laptop computers. This scene repeats frequently.]

I saw a massive gap where there was very little, if any, female representation for female athletes. I wanted to bridge those two and represent female athletes across the country, both summer and winter sports. Bringing athlete deals to the athletes that I represent, it’s one more female and one more woman that’s representing women. 

[Still image of Georgia wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the hood up over her head. Georgia is looking down, holding her right arm up in front, her hand clenched in a fist at the front of the image with a gold ring on the ring finger. Behind Georgia is a white screen on the left-hand side which transitions on the right into a wall of indistinct newspaper clippings.]

[Georgia sits at the table on the phone, working.]

[Close up image of a red and white cycling uniform with the words in English and French, “Canadian Champion Champion(ne) Canadien(ne)” on the top and bottom around a red maple leaf.]

[Close up of a round medal with a small square plaque in the middle displaying the words “Canada Alpine Ski Alpin”.]

AG Sports is in Canada to change the landscape of Canadian sports, and my mission is to bring equality and equity to the sport in Canada and really just be a voice for those athletes.

[Georgia Simmerling, Founder – AG Sports INC.] 

[Repeat images of Georgia in the house.]

[Close-up of repeat image of Georgia riding her bike in front of tall residential towers.]

I’m Georgia Simmerling, and this is my “Bags 2 Riches” story.

[dramatic music]

[A dotted pink line emerges from centre-left of the screen leading to the centre. A black and white image of several antique suitcases are shown appearing through a large camera lens.]

[The camera lens with suitcases fades to the background while the dotted pink line continues on and expands as marks on a black and white flight board reading “Airport Departures”. Several flight destinations appear under the headings “Time”, “City” and “Flight”.]

[The airport departures screen fades while a bright pink circle appears close to the screen, then decreases rapidly in size following the airport departures screen. A close-up view of a black and white map showing Canada, Greenland on the left and parts of Europe on the right, appears. An airplane takes off from an area in France, heading towards Canada, a trail of bright pink dots following the flight path of the airplane.]

[From the centre of the screen a large camera lens now surrounded by a bright pink circle rapidly increases in size, breaking up the solid line to form pink dots around the camera lens. Inside the lens are a number of black and white passport stamps indicating various countries and dates. In the centre “CANADA” clearly stands out in bold lettering.]

[A pink circle emerges from the centre of the screen, starting small and rapidly expanding replacing the images of the passport stamps. The title, “BAGS 2 RICHES” in bright pink lettering appear in the centre of the screen, while the words “Simplii Financial” are shown at the bottom right of the title in white lettering, all against a plain black screen.]

[Bags 2 Riches, Simplii Financial]

[dramatic music]

[Aerial view of the City of Vancouver. A body of water with two bridges in the distance separates the right and left sides of the city. On the right shore are many high-rise buildings of all shapes and sizes, while on the left is a sprawling mass of single-family residential homes.]

[Vancouver, British Columbia]

I was born and raised on the north shore of Vancouver. Sports have always been a big part of my life. Always being outside. I was ripping down double black diamonds when I was maybe six, just to try to keep up to my brothers.

[Still images cycle of Georgia. First, a younger, teenage Georgia standing on a podium with a gold medal around her neck with snow-dotted trees behind. Georgia is looking off towards the left shaking hands with another skier. Next, an image of Georgia skiing on a ski hill. Next, an image of a young Georgia sitting with her school-aged brothers in summer clothing on a wooden bench in front of a large body of water.]

[Georgia wearing a zip-up jacket putting on a ski helmet. Georgia continues to prepare to ski by snapping up ski boots, putting on reflective lens ski goggles.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

The ultimate dream for me was to represent my country and wear that maple leaf on my back as a national team athlete. The first time I was selected to the Olympic team, I truly didn’t believe it at the time.

[Still images cycle of the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver. First, Team Canada wearing red jackets and black pants are led into the stadium by a sign bearer holding the sign in English and French with the words “Canada Canada”. The flag bearer walks just in front of the team, holding a large Canadian flag in the air. The next two images are close-ups of Team Canada and the flag bearer, Clara Hughes, walking into the stadium. Finally, a zoomed-out view of the entirety of Team Canada walking through the stadium.]

[Still photograph of Georgia and her mother both wearing ski helmets with goggles propped up above on the helmets at a ski hill, both smiling at the camera.]

And it sunk in when I was walking through the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Games in Vancouver.

[Still image of a cheering crowd, all wearing Canada gear and holding signs. A young child is on the shoulders of their parent holding a sign in English and French that says “Go Canada! Allez Canada!”]

Knowing my family was in the crowd and all Canadians were cheering for us, which I remember being really special.

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

I was incredibly proud, and that was just the beginning of my Olympic career. I was able to compete in four different Olympic Games – in Alpine, ski cross and track cycling.

[Still images cycle of Georgia competing in sports. First, an image of Georgia wearing a yellow, red, and white race suit competing for Team Canada in Alpine skiing. Next, a group of four skiers, one behind the other, race down a hill making a turn to their right while a swoosh of snow flies off to the left of their skis. Finally, another image of Georgia on the indoor cycling track.]

[A still image of Georgia in a Team Canada biking suit on an indoor track with a multi-coloured Olympic Rio 2016 border around the edge of the track. Next, a still image of Team Canada track cyclists, smiling, cycling together around the inside warm-up edge of the track, with the front two cyclists holding a Canadian flag between them.]

I won a bronze medal in the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games in track cycling.

[Repeat image of the four Team Canada cyclists in their red Canada sweaters, holding the medals in their hands, smiling at the camera.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

It meant everything. It’s this, you know, culmination of 24 years of work that has been brought to fruition in that moment of time like I will never forget.

[Image of the Team Canada Cyclists in their red sweaters, standing together, cheering, each with an arm raised in the air.]

[Camera pans around a distant image of large, snow-capped mountains in the distance. In the foreground a heavily treed area is broken up by a single winding river and one road around the base of a closer mountain.]

And I am the only Canadian to ever compete in three different Olympics in three different sports.

>> Steph Labbé: I know what it took for me just to be able to get myself to an Olympic Games. So, to think of doing that three separate times, like starting fresh, starting new in something totally different, that was something that first like, drew me towards her.

[Steph Labbé, Fiancé.] 

[Interview of Steph Labbé in the house, with the bright, white walled living room behind. This scene repeats frequently.]

[Steph stands wearing shorts and t-shirt, her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She is leaning against a soccer goal post, wearing yellow goalie gloves, holding a soccer ball between her left hand and her left hip. The sun is shining brightly above through white, fluffy clouds.]

[Quick video footage of Steph running with two other female soccer players.]

[In an indoor arena, Steph stands in front of a soccer net. A ball comes into the screen from the top left. Steph raises her hands, wearing orange goalie gloves, and catches the ball in her two hands.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

[Still photographs of Georgia training. First, in a room with a greyish black drop, Georgia is wearing a black sports bra with defined abdominal muscles, staring down at the ground, holding a very large medicine ball above her head with both hands. Next, an overhead view of Georgia bent over, staring at the ground, hands gripped around the handlebars of a weighted push sled.]

>> Georgia Simmerling: You know, elite athletes, we are used to being very good at what we do. And we’re used to being one of the best in the world. So, to switch sports, it requires this sense of you know, accepting that you’re not gonna be the best, accepting that you’re gonna fail many times.

[Still image of Georgia skiing on a hill with red netting around the right side, Georgia is coming off of a jump, flying through the air, knees tucked into her chest, ski poles held parallel to the ground, heading toward the landing spot below.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

[Repeat image of the Team Canada athletes with bronze medals pans out to reveal the podium with the other medalists. The team from Great Britain stands in the middle, arms raised with gold medals, and the American team on the left, with silver medals.]

[Interview of Steph in the house.]

>> Steph Labbé: It’s a true testament to not only her confidence and belief in herself, but also just the incredible strength and talent that she has.

[Close-up video footage of Georgia running, while wearing a baseball hat with “CAN” in black lettering on the front, and dark sunglasses. In the background are blurred images of trees. The image expands to reveal Georgia running on a bridge over a river. The right-hand shore is layered with densely packed trees of all shapes and sizes with a large ice cap covering a third of the river. A small road runs along the left-hand shore with multi-storey residential towers behind.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

>> Georgia Simmerling: If you’re starting over, whether that’s sport, or career, or whatever it may be, I think the same lessons apply.

[Video footage of Georgia running continues.]

It’s this sense of you know, letting your guard down, being vulnerable, being accepting to information, accepting to criticism. You have to regrow. You have to start from the bottom and work your way back up.

[Aerial footage further down the river with the ice cap covering two-thirds of the river and trees of all shapes and sizes on both shores. In the distance is a large, snow-capped mountain.]

There’s a little fear, but it’s how do you challenge your fear and doubt to something that you can use?

[Repeat video footage of Georgia riding her bike along a path with residential buildings in the distance.]

[Repeat footage of downtown Calgary with high-rise buildings and the Calgary Tower.]

You have to look at that big goal, and then, work your way back. What do you have to achieve today, tomorrow, in the next week, in the next month, to achieve something that you wanna achieve in four years from now?

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

And that’s where you gain the belief, because you gain confidence every day.

[Gloomy music]

[Still X-ray images. First, an X-ray of Georgia’s lower left leg with multiple fractures. Next, an X-ray image of a rod covering the same leg fractures.]

[Still images of Georgia healing. First, Georgia’s left leg is elevated in the air, with severe bruising covering the entire calf muscle. Three large surgical bandages cover incision points on the ankle, upper calf and posterior knee. Next, an image of Georgia lying in a hospital bed with a breathing tube in her nostrils, wearing a metal neck brace.]

I did all this despite many career-ending injuries. Every injury was a career-ending injury.

[Video footage of Georgia walking with a black, full-leg brace on her left leg. Georgia’s walking is supported by forearm crutches in both hands.]

[Video footage of Georgia walking away from the camera, in a physiotherapy setting. Georgia walks gingerly, still supported by her forearm crutches.]

And every time I’d go back to the doctor, he’d be like, “I don’t know how you’re moving.”

[Interview of Steph in the house.]

>> Steph Labbé: A lot of athletes, I think mentally, that would have kind of been the end, and it’s a big, big challenge for athletes to overcome.

[Video footage of Georgia on an exercise bike in the physiotherapy setting. Georgia is peddling the bike with her right leg, while her left foot is raised slightly resting on a bench in front. Georgia rubs her left calf.]

[In a gym setting with many stationary machines on the left, and a large, mirrored wall on the right, Georgia sits on a leg press machine with individual paddles for each leg, using her left leg to push the pedal forward.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

>> Georgia Simmerling: I can confidently say that I have become a stronger human being mentally and physically from each and every one of my injuries. I just had an underlying, powerful motivation that I was going to heal. Stronger.

[Video footage of Georgia training on an indoor track. First, a close up of Georgia’s legs doing high side-step hops towards the right. Next, Georgia and another athlete stand one behind the other on the same red, indoor track doing grapevine leg movements to their left. Next, Georgia and the other athlete continue to do high side steps.]

[Inside a gym setting, a close-up of Georgia with a squat rack barbell on her shoulders, standing from a squatted position. Next, in another gym setting, Georgia is on a reclined leg press machine, with both feet on the paddle pushing the seat away.]

[melodious music]

[Monochromatic silhouette-type video footage of Georgia wearing black athletic wear practicing yoga. First, a back bending camel pose with one arm extended beside her head. Next, upward dog, with her arms pushing her chest and abdomen away from the floor. Georgia then pushes her bottom up into the air as her head comes down to rest in downward dog.]

I definitely went through some dark times and suffered an eating disorder. For many, many years I suffered from bulimia. Not putting in the right fuel in my body, not feeling good about myself mentally and physically. I was able to then address it. And Steph was a big part of that.

[Zoomed out view of Georgia practicing yoga in kneeling prayer pose.]

[Interview of Steph in the house.]

[Black and white photo of Georgia sitting on a couch, Steph sitting in front of her. Georgia is kissing Steph’s cheek and Steph is smiling. Steph is holding a sign in front of her. Some words on the sign are crossed out. The sign reads: “I am sad [crossed out], beautiful, lonely [crossed out], strong, insignificant [crossed out], courageous, misunderstood [crossed out], hurt [crossed out], fearless, afraid [crossed out], powerful, smart, exhausted [crossed out], BRAVE, LOVED. #BELL LETS TALK”.]

>> Steph Labbe: Just being there, listening, I could see you know, the weight off her chest, just by talking about it.

[Georgia continues practicing yoga moving into Warrior 2 pose with her back leg stretched out behind, front knee bent forward, and arms outstretched parallel to the floor.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

>> Georgia Simmerling: It’s not even asking for help; it’s just actually sharing what you’re going through. That alone, will bring you strength and confidence to then take the next steps.

[In the kitchen, Georgia holds an apple in her right hand on a cutting board while a kitchen knife held in her left hand, slices down through the apple, cutting it in half. Steph approaches from Georgia’s right. Georgia and Steph look at each other, smile and engage in conversation.] 

>> Steph Labbé: Telling those close to you is one of the hardest things, and so, I knew that I was really grateful at the beginning that she opened up to me, that she talked to me. And I think I just saw this incredible strength in her.

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

>> Georgia Simmerling: Having her support was tremendous and really, really powerful for me to slowly kinda work through it. And that alone I think is the first step of healing.

[Georgia and Steph walk along a path with tall, evergreen trees on the right-hand side of the frame and fall-like, bare deciduous trees on the left. Georgia and Steph are each walking with a dog on a leash around their waist, Steph with a French bulldog and Georgia with a Labrador Retriever.]

[Georgia links her arm through Stephanie’s arm, and they continue walking side-by-side.]

Just having Steph around me and living with her was a massive help.

[Dramatic music]

[Screenshot of a news article with the headline “Four-time Olympian Georgia Simmerling announces retirement.” Below the headline is a still image of Georgia wearing a Team Canada skinsuit riding on an indoor track bike.]

[Screenshot of a news article by Andy Prest on September 16, 2021, “West Vancouver’s one-of-a-kind Olympia Georgia Simmerling retires from sport”.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

After 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, which were in 2021, I knew that I wanted to retire.

[Framed black and white photograph of Georgia starting to walk down from the summit of a snowy mountain, her skis strapped on to a knapsack on her back.]

[Framed black and white photograph of the backs of Georgia and Steph standing on the end of a dock on the water. One is resting her head on the other’s shoulders. Across the body of water stands a tall mountain. A dog is walking the opposite direction on the dock, back to shore.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

I had mentors and retired athletes throughout the course of my career that told me, “Understand what you want to do after you’re done, because you will be done one day. You will not be on top of a podium, you will not be on TV,” and I really took that to heart.

[Georgia and three other Team Canada cycling athletes stand together, with arms across each other’s shoulders. Medals hang around each of their necks.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.] 

[From her back, Georgia stands looking out a large, three-paned window of the house. Outside are blurred images of trees. The image pans looking in, and Georgia is standing looking out the window, raising a mug to her lips to drink out of it.]

And so, I believe I took a slightly different approach than most athletes that retire and go through a transition where I did a lot of work prior to retiring.

[Georgia is in an airy, open office space in the house. She sits down in an office chair which is at a desk in the house. Georgia works on her laptop.]

[Repeat image of Georgia working, speaking on the phone at the glass table.]

About six months prior to, I started setting up a lot of meetings with people in various different industries that I was interested in. I knew I didn’t really wanna be a coach, so I wanted to be on the other side of the lens, if you will. More on the business side. So, sports agency, sports marketing, sports management.

>> Steph Labbé: Through her experience and lived experience, I think it was a natural fit.

[Interview of Steph in the house.]

It’s, you know, no secret that, as a female, it’s very hard to talk about your value and what you’re worth, and to fight for that. It’s something that she’s very, very good at.

[Still images of Georgia competing. First, Georgia, wearing a red toque, holding her skis up beside her head, stands in front of a backdrop with Samsung and TeleZ logos on it. Next, repeat image of Team Canada athletes in the red jackets smiling. Next, three ski cross skiers are all in different moments. One skier in a yellow bib is several feet off the ground looking down at the landing point. Right in front, a skier in a red bib is coming up to the left of a skier in a green bib.]

>> Georgia Simmerling: I represented myself as a young whippersnapper, and I was able to have conversations with professionals at a young age.

[Still images of Georgia skiing in a tuck position, with arms brought up to her chest, cycle.]

[Image of Georgia standing on a ski hill, arms raised, ski poles looped over her gloves. wearing a Sochi 2014 bib with number 12.]

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

And to understand about saving a little bit of money here and there. And I invested some of my money at a pretty early, early age, and I’m very lucky that I had that knowledge.

[Georgia working in the office space in the house.]

So, my advice would be, talk to someone that knows the world of financial literacy. Like, you have money growing, to not have it sit in your savings account, is smart. And to have it grow, even slowly, is very, very valuable down the road.

[The two dogs are lying on a white couch in the house. The Labrador lifts its head and looks off to the left of the screen.]

[Celebratory music]

[Repeat footage of downtown Calgary with the tall buildings and Calgary Tower.]

[Georgia and Steph sit at the glass table, working.]

My mission is to bring equality and equity to sport in Canada, and then, by doing so, represent female athletes across the country, both summer and winter. Paralympians, as well.

[Interview of Steph in the house.]

[Still image of Georgia in black athletic wear posed in plank position with her right leg coming up and over top of her right shoulder with her foot resting on the ground. Georgia is looking straight ahead.]

>> Steph Labbé: I think, for Georgia, it was all about transferring the confidence, and the ownership, and the self-value to other athletes.

[Georgia practicing upward dog.]

[Interview of Steph in the house.]

[Georgia standing in her running gear with the CAN hat and dark sunglasses, hood up over her head, on the bridge where she was previously running. She is standing tall, arms crossed, smiling at the camera.]

>> Steph Labbé: She is so confident in what she’s worth and she knows what not only herself, but what a female athlete is worth.

[Interview of Georgia in the house.]

[Close-up of Georgia standing on the bridge. Georgia is smiling brightly and briefly shrugs her shoulders in a laugh.]

>> Georgia Simmerling: I’m putting in all the same work ethic that I had as an athlete into my job. The same passion that I had as an athlete, I’m putting that into my work, and I love it.

[Fade to title]

[Bags 2 Riches, Simplii Financial]

[“Bags 2 Riches” and “Simplii Financial” fade to black.]

[music ends]