CWO Susan Chiasson shares her secrets to succeed at any sport in the CAF
With nearly 35 years in the military and now with Canadian Forces Logistics Training Centre (CFLTC), Chief Warrant Officer Susan Chiasson has been a witness and testament to the inclusion of women’s sports in the CAF, placing second at the national golf championship and getting the opportunity to compete in Zimbabwe, Africa.
From an early age, CWO Chiasson was involved with the sea and army cadets which in addition to her long military family history, made her transition into her CAF career clear-cut. She quickly became involved in sports like mixed slow-pitch and hockey due to the supportive staff and teammates who helped CWO Chiasson improve her game over time.
Upon receiving her first set of golf clubs as a birthday gift from a friend, CWO Chiasson decided to give golf a try and joined a local women’s league on base in 2007 while posted to CFB Borden, which then gradually led to attempting the Base Team.
“All that positive influencing at the start of everything, it really allowed me to want to grow and learn how far could I go in a sport,” CWO Chiasson explained. “I ended up playing my first regional level golf here at Borden which surprised me, probably because we didn’t have enough ladies in the sport at the time, but I am super proud of what I have accomplished.”
In the game of golf, the key motivator for CWO Chiasson is finding consistency in all aspects such as form, technique, follow through and setup, looking at players and professionals such as Brooke Henderson, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods for inspiration.
“Although Brooke Henderson does inspire me to do well in the sport, finding somebody that you can play with who understands the grind or the ups and downs of the game equally, yet you can still learn from them is a great opportunity,” CWO Chiasson said.
Despite how nervous she felt at competing on a national or international level, having a group of supportive athletes and coaches she believed aided in the improvements of her golf performances.
Between 11 and 14 August 2024 during the national golf championships in CFB Shilo, CWO Chiasson placed second in the women’s division and described the shaky first day of the tournament where she felt the need to return to her routine and remain consistent to change the course of her gameplay: Keep your head down, elbows tucked in, follow through, finish the pose.
“If I want to do better, I need to put this whole routine in place so that I do a better job,” CWO Chiasson thought to herself. “When I found out I made top three in the final championship round I thought: ‘See! You can do it!’”
CWO Chiasson reiterated the importance of humility and perseverance in competition as victory is temporary and overconfidence can lead you back to where you started.
“One of my most recent lessons learned over the last couple of years, is to stay humble as much as possible because the game can change like that,” she said. “One hole you can get a double par, and the next hole you birdie, which most golfers have probably done!”
With a humble attitude and regimented golfing routine, CWO Chiasson was able to attend the 14th CISM international military golf tournament in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe from 19 to 21 June 2024 where the wildlife was as vibrant as the competition.
“I was not prepared for how distracted I was going to be by all the different wildlife that was running a muck while we were making strokes and walking down the fairway, or walking across the green,” CWO Chiasson said laughing.
From getting to see several species of monkeys including the baboon, warthogs and antelope at the international level to placing second over all at the national level, CWO Chiasson has been able to make the most of CAF sports by finding supportive teammates and coaches to assist her game along the way. Her advice for new members who are on the fence about joining sporting efforts on Base boils down to a three-letter word.
“Try! Yeah, it’s a three-letter word, but try. If you don’t try, you will never know what your potential is or could be,” CWO Chiasson said. “And find somebody that can help you try. You know it’s super important that when you are learning something new, that you have the right positivity in your support… If you first don’t succeed, try, try again.”
