Having would-be tacklers on her back while gaining yards for the Foothills Falcons’ bronze-medal winning rugby team was a tough haul this season.
However, it will help prepare Foothills Composite high school graduand Lauren Waldner for a year of living in a foreign country, learning new languages and possibly having toddlers and children climbing on her back.
“I am taking a year off and going to Europe to au pair — I am going to be kind of a nanny in both France and Italy,” Waldner said. “I wanted to travel around, but that gets really expensive.
“I have always been very good at taking care of kids, which I enjoy. It seemed like a win-win opportunity. I get my room and board taken care of, take care of some kids and see the world while I am doing it.”
Waldner will be working with the two families to help their children improve their English.
“Both families have a bunch of young boys and I am going to be watching them,” she said. “They want them to learn English in a more fun way. If they are interacting with me — and I only speak English — then they are forced to develop.”
It will mean the unilingual Waldner will be learning some whole new languages from the children and their families.
She’s proven to be a quick learner.
Waldner is an honour student at the Comp. However, she admits not knowing French or Italian is going to initially be a bit worrisome.
As for working with the children, it’s in her roots.
“My mom (Tracey McKinnon) is a principal at Senator Riley (in High River) so maybe it’s in my genetics,” she said with a laugh.
If she stumbles with a word or two with the children, she can always
capture the young boys’ attention by passing a rugby ball to them.
“I think rugby is pretty big in Europe and my dad really wants me to try playing there, but I don’t know how well it is going to work out,” said Waldner, who was named most outstanding back on the Falcons.
She said the game has provided her with skills that will not only help her with the trip to Europe, but for the rest of her life.
“Rugby has helped me build up my patience over the last few years,” she said.
“When I was in Grade 10 and just learning it helped me with adaptability and listening — actually doing what I was told and not just doing what I think is right.
“Rugby is done as a team, you have to rely on the people around you. Trust them to do what they will do and what they are responsible for.
“It’s really important to not try and do everything in life by yourself, but to lean on people sometimes.”
She had the Foothills school community to lean on during her years at the Comp.
“We do have a real good group of people here – especially this year,” Waldner said. “There were no real conflicts, no big cliques, people could bounce between the groups, it was just a welcoming environment. The teachers will ask about your life outside of school.
“The fact the teachers are putting in that kind of effort shows the type of spirit our school has.”
The long-term plan is to go to university after her year-long stint in Europe. As for what she is going to study, for now it’s c’est la vie.
“One of the reasons for the year off is to find how I want to spend my life,” Waldner said. “I will be applying for schools when I am in Europe. I am driven to a high career in my life, I just don’t know what that is going to be yet or where it’s going to be… Maybe I will stay in Europe, who knows?”
