Skills Canada Series - Season 4 - Episode 12 with Luca Assad & Andrew Assad

The CWB Association is proud to continue our collaboration with Skills/Compétences Canada on this special podcast series, where we will highlight the training, passion, and dedication,showcasing the road to WorldSkills Team Canada from the competitors, trainers, experts, and everyone involved as they prepare to head to the World Skills Competition in Shanghai, China,on September 22-27, 2026.

A passion for food, a competitive spirit, and years of encouragement in the kitchen have helped shape Luca Assad’s journey to the world stage. In this episode, Luca shares her path into Culinary Arts, the competitive drive that helped take her from provincials to nationals, and the demanding training behind her preparation for WorldSkills Shanghai 2026. Joined by her dad, Andrew, we also hear the family perspective on supporting a young competitor as she chases one of the biggest opportunities of her career.

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Transcript

Welcome And Series Kickoff

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Welcome to the CWB Association Welding Podcast. I'm your host, Kevin Hua. Let's flip up the lid and spark some conversation. Welcome to the CWB Association Welding Podcast. We are proud to continue our partnership with Skills Competence Canada and this special podcast series where we'll be highlighting the training, the passion, the dedication behind the road to Team Canada from the competitors training experts and everyone involved as they prepare to head to World Skills Competition in Shanghai, China. Today we'll be having an exciting conversation with Team Canada competitor Luca Assad and uh getting a parent's point of view from her dad, Andrew. So welcome. Thank you so much for having us. Absolutely. So, Luca, what is your trade?

SPEAKER_00 0:53

I'm the culinary competitor.

SPEAKER_02 0:56

So, can you break that down for us? What is a culinary competitor?

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Of course. So, okay. Although I'm just in culinary, um, I also um do a lot of baking in my competition. I have to do a lot of costing, menu writing, everything that you would do as the head chef of a restaurant, they really try to keep it as accurate to industry because they wanted to simulate what it's like in a workplace. So when I competed at um provincials and nationals, I had to do three courses, four plates of each course within eight hours. And there's a certain scope. So there's like certain parameters that have to follow for each dish. For example, um, when I competed last year at Provincials, I had to do my appetizer a stuffed pasta, um

What Culinary Competition Demands

SPEAKER_00 1:40

uh stuffed pasta appetizer with a mousseline. A moussiline is um I'm gonna get into it. Sorry.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

I'd say I you're unpacking so much right now.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

I know, I'm sorry. Okay, basically you just have to like follow different um parameters that they give you. So I had to butcher corn a channel, make mousseline stuffed pasta, and make a consume. So every course has different requirements they have to meet, basically.

SPEAKER_02 2:03

Yeah, that sounds crazy. So Luca, why do you think your trade is important to like today's society?

SPEAKER_00 2:12

Well, I think cooking is important because I just love eating. Who doesn't love eating? Like that's the reason that I'm in cooking is just because I love food. And I think that food is such a everyone has to eat. Everyone loves food, everyone has one favorite meal and one favorite dish that just comforts them. I just think it's something that it just connects everyone no matter where you're from. And I think that in a day and age now where there's a lot of disconnect, you need things like that to hold people together.

SPEAKER_02 2:37

Absolutely. And that's that's that's a great way to look at it. So growing up, Luca, what kind of what first sparked your interest in cooking, in culinary arts?

SPEAKER_00 2:48

It was my dad, actually. My dad loves cooking. If he could go back in time, he would become a chef 100%. Um, so we used to make we used to do like Vietnamese nights together. So we'd make like Vietnamese salad rolls, and I would like stand on a stool at the counter and help him out. Um, so that's really what started it. And then my family just revolves around food. Like that's all we talk about and think about.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

It's very true.

SPEAKER_00 3:08

So I kind of just fell into it.

SPEAKER_01 3:11

That is awesome. We don't plan birthdays around presents, it's what I want for breakfast, what I want for lunch, and what I want for dinner.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

100%.

SPEAKER_02 3:18

That's how the date is planned. So, how old were you when you think that that that spark happened?

SPEAKER_00 3:24

I won't I feel like maybe five. I think it was really young. And yeah, I just continued being in the kitchen with my parents since then.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

She we got her uh her own cast iron soup pot when she was five for Christmas.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

For Christmas, and they got me a toolkit with different spices and everything. So it's just it's been a thing since I was a kid.

SPEAKER_02 3:43

That sounds amazing. So, Andrew, were you so obviously, you know, if you had to go back and do it again, you would have been a a chef or a cook. So when when did your love for this stuff start?

SPEAKER_01 3:55

I have no idea because I'm just a recipe cook and I'm just the my wife does most of the cooking because she is better at it, but I like doing holidays and weekends and recipes. And yeah, that was just something Luca and I used to do when she was done with uh competition or we just had some time to kill. We'd say, Let's make this, and we just try. Yeah, yeah, that's that's all.

SPEAKER_02 4:18

That's all. Do you do you guys have a favorite recipe or a family meal that you you get to to make together?

SPEAKER_00 4:26

I would I would say Vietnamese dad, because just so nostalgic, and that's what started it. Yeah, yeah, we still have Vietnamese nights.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

It's the Vietnamese feast with vermicelli bowls and salad rolls and pork. Yeah. And bon meat.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Yeah. Yep.

SPEAKER_02 4:40

Yeah, that sounds great. Um, so what kind of what kind of kid were you, Luca? Like we we touched on obviously now you're passionate about cooking, but you know, like were you more of a hands-on kind of kid? Or like what what else were you interested in?

SPEAKER_00 4:55

I did gymnastics competitively for 14 years since I was two. So that was just all my time. That's kind of all I did. So I was just very like follow the rules, just do everything particularly and try to make it as perfect as possible. So I was very, I was like, I paid into the details a lot as a kid, and I was just really motivated and passionate, and all I thought about was gymnastics. That's all I really that's all I did.

SPEAKER_02 5:18

Yeah. Do you think your

Family Food Traditions And Gymnastics Grit

SPEAKER_02 5:20

background in gymnastics and and and competition helps you out with uh with Skills Canada?

SPEAKER_00 5:27

One trillion percent. Gymnastics is a really tough sport, like people throw shoes at you. So now if like when I'm in, I make a mistake, and my coach makes a little comment. Not that I don't take it seriously, but I think that it's a really high pressure environment, and when little things happen, I'm like, well, I split the beam once during competition, so nothing can be worse than that.

SPEAKER_02 5:48

I don't think anyone's throwing shoes at you in in uh cooking competition. That's unsanitary, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:57

100%.

SPEAKER_02 5:59

So, Andrew, what was your reaction when you found out that Luca would be representing Team Canada at World Skills?

SPEAKER_01 6:07

It I don't know, it was really surreal, actually, but then also not surprising, just knowing that when she puts her mind towards something, she just does it and gets it and she's focused. And it was it wasn't like an overnight thing, it was a slow build. You started by watching some competitors at school, and then you said, Okay, well I'm gonna try this, and then you tried it, and you tried out for it competed. So it was like over the course of time that she just kept going to the next level, to the next level, and then it was just getting really exciting. Yeah, and then when you know, then she wins provincials, and then she wins nationals, and now is gonna represent Canada. It would, I don't know, it's it's surreal and awesome, and we're super proud, but also not super surprised. I that does that's not meant to sound super humble too. It's not meant to sound arrogant, but you know what I mean? Like it just absolutely I was gonna say it kind of seems like the person she is.

SPEAKER_02 7:01

So can we go back? Can we go back to like how did you get introduced to skills competence?

SPEAKER_00 7:09

So I'm in the four-year program at George Brown College, it's the only um bachelor's bachelor's program in all of Canada. So I'm getting my culinary, getting my Bachelor of Commerce at the same time. So I would scroll on the George Brown Instagram just because I want to see what the program was like. And I saw someone who said that they were in the same program as me. His name is Negus King. And he was talking about how his experience and how he did the skills competition. I was like, what is that? I've never heard of that at all. And I was like, if he's doing really well in my program, let me just do what he does, kind of. So I watched the videos about it. I was like, oh, this is like this is something really cool. Because when I stopped gymnastics, I felt really like kind of empty. I was like, what? I'm so bored. What do I do? And I need to have something to do 24-7. So I was like, why not just try this thing out? Um, just why not? So I helped out at this different competition at my school called Cook the Books that Migus was doing just because I wanted to get in and talk to him. Um, and then I asked more about skills and I found out what it was, what it was about. And then I just went to the meeting just for kind of for fun. I was like, I'm not really sure if I want to do it yet. And then I was like, hold on, I can get a free trip to China and learn and learn like one-on-one with really amazing chefs. It's like, it's like free learning, really. And my that's how I saw it. I was like, I'm just like accelerating my learning, and it's just like it there's it's a win-win situation. So I try I you have to submit an online application. So I did that, and then they select 12 people, and then it's a practical competition. So I did that, and I was like, okay, I had a great time, but I didn't really think much of it, and then I got chosen out to the last four people, and I had an interview, and then I got picked.

SPEAKER_02 8:47

Wow. So so you went from winning your local competition to provincial competition to national competition.

SPEAKER_00 8:55

Exactly. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:56

Now, how how how long was that? How like years, months? Like it sounds like it happened quick.

SPEAKER_00 9:03

So it happened. Uh I tried out like I did my first initial like interview in I want to say it was last November, like just beginning of December, and then I got chosen mid-December, and then I competed provincial, and then I started training from January till May. Competed provincially in May, beginning of May, then I competed nationally, end of May. And then for Team Canada, whoever wins that's 2025, right? Yeah, whoever competes the national competition, they get chosen to be on Team Canada.

SPEAKER_02 9:30

Yeah. Yeah. So that's kind of a whirlwind kind of thing. So it's like, you know what? From from the point of I want to go to China to working to go to China.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:42

Um so what does what does training for you look like? Like you touched on so many things. Like you got to make this type of meal, this type of entree, all this stuff. So what what does training look like for you?

SPEAKER_00 9:54

Um, well, for now, it's really different now than when I was training for provincials and nationals. When I was training for

Finding Skills Canada And Rising Fast

SPEAKER_00 10:00

those competitions, they released what we had to do in January. So we just first started with menu develop menu development. So we just went in every single day. I was there. Um, because I was still in classes, so I was there like five days a week, and I would just stay after my classes for like five hours, sometimes eight hours, and just train with my coaches to develop the dishes. And then after that, we go into full runs, which is making like a full simulation of what the competition is like. So set up the comment table, they time me like that's accurate to the time of the competition, and I do full runs, and I would just do that for like a month and a half at least. Um, but now for Shanghai, it's different because the scope isn't released until end of July, which is just like not much time to prepare. So from September to now, I've been training just on a wider array of things, just to like kind of get all my bases covered so that when the scope is released, I'm like, okay, I have this in my back pocket. Um, but I compete in a couple competitions just for friend, just as a friendly, just to stay in the competitive like um mindset. So yeah, I competed it in I competed at the national one. I judge the provincial one. I competed in a competition in Atlanta against a couple other countries a couple weeks ago, and I won.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

So in the bags, Canada. So Andrew, as a parent with such a you know, positive and motivated child, like what was what was your you know first competition? Like, what were you feeling when you're when your daughter was in it? Oh, so I'm bad as a competitor.

SPEAKER_01 11:31

As a watcher. As a watcher. So because I get super nervous. And so I try my best for Luca not to see me, even when, like, even from gymnastics days, I had to extract myself from the competition. Because yeah, it's exciting but nerve-wracking. But then I also when you're watching the competitions, there's chefs roaming around, and her coaches are roaming around, and they're explaining to me what's going on and what they're looking for. And because I'll get panicked and like she's running out of time, and she's like, No, she's right on time, she's got this to do in the next 30 seconds, she's fine. And so it's kind of educational while you're watching this, but it's eight hours straight. It's pretty incredible.

SPEAKER_02 12:11

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it's kind of insane. Like, I've been to a few of the national competitions, I've been to provincial competitions, I've been a judge myself, and it's it's insane, like all the criteria that you have to hit. Like, I'm on the welding side of things, of course, but uh it's just crazy. So, so you you talk about being nervous and being, you know, like you feel the pressure of the competition. So, what is it like now helping her train?

SPEAKER_01 12:37

Oh, so I don't we don't really help. You that's right. Mental support. We're like, yeah, we're good mental support, but we'll we'll store all the knife chopped vegetables. You need chopped carrots, onions, celery. We've got so many of those. Um, yeah, eat lots of omelets. Um, yeah, so there's nothing we really do other than support. It's because we don't know what to coach her on or train her on. It's just more about staying positive and motivated, and that's it.

unknown 13:09

That's it.

SPEAKER_02 13:09

You're like the sous chef, but also mentally.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

100%. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 13:14

Exactly. So, Andrew, one more thing is what do you think about your daughter getting into such a stressful and demanding field?

SPEAKER_01 13:22

Uh, you know what? She like when she was graduating in grade 11 and 12, when you know you start to think of what you're going to do, she had so many different avenues she was considering, but everything kept coming back to culinary, right? And so my wife and I were both hoping that would be her decision because she just loves it. And we said, if you can do what you love, stress is fine, all that's fine. And I know it sounds really cliche, but even just her first few weeks at school, she it was just love, and she didn't feel like she was going to school. And when there were breaks, she didn't want to be on breaks. And I was like, Well, that's all that we could ask for. And the program's so cool, and we've learned so much just watching. For sure, yeah. And these experiences are amazing, and it's just because she's loved it forever, and now she's getting to do it.

SPEAKER_02 14:14

Yeah. So, Luca, is there anything that you learned about like you're you're in culinary school, but is there anything that surprised you about what being a chef is?

SPEAKER_00 14:26

I would say that when I first went into I never worked at a restaurant before going to George Brown. So I didn't really know what it was like in a kitchen, honestly. And my dream was to become a head chef. Um, not that it isn't anymore, but when you're the head chef, you're not really in the kitchen that much. You're more so like dealing with like ordering the like accounting. Like you're not really in the kitchen. Um, that being said, the rest of my work at now, the head chef, she really makes sure sure that she's still in the kitchen. She's very involved involved. But I feel like that's kind of rare, honestly. So that's something that kind of surprised me. Um also I before going into the the like kitchens, I thought that it was really rare to have like women in the kitchens. Not that it isn't anymore, but I feel like it's a lot more prevalent now, which is just really encouraging for myself. So that was a nice surprise.

SPEAKER_02 15:12

Yeah, absolutely. So now working, you know, in a restaurant, also going to school, what's what's the difference between the two? What is what is I guess what I'm asking is what makes a good competitor versus a good chef? Like you can be skilled at at being a cook, but what makes you a good competitor?

SPEAKER_00 15:35

Yeah, that's a great question. I would say I think that culinary competitions, although they try to make really accurate to the to the industry, it's not really, honestly. Like I don't explain it. Like a kitchen is very, very stressful, but it's a different kind of stress because on the competition floor, it's like you can adapt in cooking, but it's kind of one and done. Like it's not, but it kind of is. When you're actually cooking in a kitchen, if you mess up, that sucks. You're wasting food, but you can go back and you can like refire the order. You can you have people around you in a competition, you're solo, like it's

Training Routines And Parent Support

SPEAKER_00 16:10

just you. If you mess up, you're like 15 minutes behind now on your work plan. And of course, I'm like I'm a chef's you you adapt, but it's a different type of like adaptability, I would say. Um, also in the competitions, there are judges staring at you, like they're at they're in your face, you don't have that in taking pictures, taking pictures, they don't have that in a restaurant, so yeah, that's a little different.

SPEAKER_02 16:32

Yeah, so when we first opened this episode up, you touched on you know, you gotta make this, this, and this. So, how do you how do you even learn to to how do you begin to learn all of these dishes and like you don't even know what you're you're up against?

SPEAKER_00 16:48

That's the thing, because I went and I was like, I'm gonna be really bad at this because I have no culinary experience, but it just comes down to my coaches. One of my coaches, he competed for this competition called Boku's Door, which is like the pinnacle of culinary competitions. Um, his name's Chef Richie. So he has a ton of culinary competition experience, and he's just very, very smart. Um, and I have another chef named coach named Chef Evans. He had his own catering company for like 15 years. They're just like two of the smartest people I've ever met, and they're just such good coaches. So just being able to learn from them, um, it's just like it's been it's been an insane experience. They just teach me really well, they understand if I mess up. Um, we have a good rapport, I think. I just think you're the your co you're the competitor and the coach have to like mesh. And in gymnastics, sometimes I didn't have that, but right now I have like the best coaches I could have ever asked for.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

So yeah, great team, great team.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 17:41

So I guess Andrew, what surprises you the most about a skills competence competition?

SPEAKER_01 17:50

Well, one, I didn't even know it existed. You know what I mean? Like it's that's so true. You you forget how much the skills influence everything we do. And when you see these competitions, it kind of opens your opens your eyes to that and just it gives you a whole new appreciation, which I which I really like. So that's cool. Um, and I then I think just the technicality of it, because I I watched fucking TV shows, right? And then you realize that's that's rooted in foundational skills, and that's what this is all about. So yeah, I think I think that's it. I think that's it. I don't even know if I answered your question.

SPEAKER_02 18:28

No, absolutely. Yes. I guess too, is you know, if if if this was available to you in, you know, back in the day, Andrew, is this something that you would have tackled? Well, you know what?

SPEAKER_01 18:41

Because the the competitive side of it would have been really enticing. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 18:46

Yeah, but you'd have done it, Dad.

SPEAKER_01 18:47

I would have yeah, I would have loved to do it. I would have loved to do it.

SPEAKER_00 18:50

For sure.

SPEAKER_01 18:50

Maybe I'm visioning myself in it.

SPEAKER_00 18:52

No, you would you would kill it. I could go back. I could do it.

SPEAKER_02 18:56

You could yeah, I'm too old to compete, but Andrew, can I ask you, what do you do now? Are you in a trade as well?

SPEAKER_01 19:03

No, I'm in I'm in the corporate world in marketing and advertising. Okay. Yeah, something like that.

SPEAKER_02 19:11

Yeah. Do you see do you see anything in your job or in your side of the world that that kind of ties into what your daughter's doing right now?

SPEAKER_01 19:19

Um question. That's a gosh, these are good questions. I'm just winging it. We're just we're just here. We're just we're doing it. This is so good. But I do think that what's similar between the two, and maybe it's between our competition or culinary, like it does come down to math and critical thinking, right? Like that's the base of it. It's it's I think there's similarities in understanding the customer, because that's why you cook, right? Is to deliver against customer needs. I think that's that's very similar. Um, and then I think like what I've really appreciated is learning about efficiency and waste through what that's what judges are looking for in these competitions, yeah, which is also true to the world and what we have to manage. Um so I think there, yeah, there are some really good like overlaps and just transferable skills that I see. Just it it just our tools are different. I'm in Excel and whatever, but you're in hands-on dishwasher in the kitchen, but yeah, but you still have to make customers happy and be profitable and all that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_02 20:27

So yeah, that's actually a great point that that you bring up because you mentioned waste and and how these judges are actually you know giving you points and criteria, and like how how is that breakdown during the competition, Luca?

SPEAKER_00 20:42

It's insane. So I got to a judge at provincial's this the pat like the 2026 competition to see like what the judge's point of view is like. It's not really what I expected. So they break it up. My memory serves me right. They have sanitation, um, production, like then you have then you have the tasting judges. Um I forget there was another one. Safety sanitation production. And like so there's tasting. So there are the kitchen judges who are watching you cook and they're on the floor, and then there are the blind tasting judges. So they're two different groups. Um, so the yeah, the floor judges, they judge sanitation, production, safety, kitchen judges, they taste, they taste your food. Um it's it's kind of insane, really, because they of course the food is what matters because you're eating it, but I feel like 50% of the competition is how you actually work, because you have to keep a clean station. That's so important in the clutter industry, because you can like you can kill someone if you're not like if you're not like handling your food properly. It's it's a real thing. Yeah, so like that's really important. Waste because we're trying to be really sustainable going forward in the industry, so they measure your waste.

SPEAKER_01 21:45

I think that was my one of my favorite things that I learned in the competition when they said we're they're they're weighing and measuring how much you waste because you have to cost it and then see what you actually waste. I thought, okay, that is fantastic.

SPEAKER_00 21:57

So my coach is like just eat whatever leftover you. Stuff even keep tasting. So I'm like eating half an onion mid-competition.

SPEAKER_02 22:07

I haven't got there yet, but yeah, so no such thing as the five-second rule in competition.

SPEAKER_00 22:13

Not at all. But yeah, it's just really elaborate. And then when I did the tasting, I was judging for high school and they had like 25 competitors.

Judging, Food Safety, And Measuring Waste

SPEAKER_00 22:20

So I tried 75 plates, and you get like palate fatigue. So it's like you can't even you can't even differentiate what you're tasting anymore. So I didn't really realize like how difficult it is. It's really hard to just, you know, to judge. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:33

Yeah, absolutely. And I'm I'm thinking right now it's like how because culinary arts, like it is an art, and art is subjective. So how do you how do you please multiple palettes? How how do you how do you actually I'm asking you right now, like how do you tackle that?

SPEAKER_00 22:51

Culinary competitions is like it's so unique because it's so subjective. Like I can taste one thing and think it's perfectly seasoned. You can taste something like, oh, this is extremely salty. So like it's so hard to to judge the tasting aspect of it. That's why you have to win over the judges just with how you present yourself. Like if my whites are pressed a better than the competitor beside me, they're already kind of gonna favor me a little bit more than the next person, which you know, subconsciously it's gonna affect them when they're tasting their food or when they're judging me on how I'm working in the kitchen. Um that's why the way you work matters so much. It does matter. Because the way you work, that's um that's objective. Like you like I can be handling poultry properly, or I cannot be. So that's what really matters. Food just make it taste like make sure that you like it. I I think because that's what matters.

SPEAKER_02 23:37

Yeah, so there's a level of professionalism, you've got these bars to hit, and I get I'm kind of hearing that the food is kind of the last thing, right?

SPEAKER_00 23:47

It's like not that it is, but it kind of is like I think it's evenly split with how you work and then your food.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

But and then there's like there is a uh what I've seen is there's such a technical level of how the food is prepared and presented from temperature, right, to clarity. So there are there's like like they weigh not subjectivity when they're looking at uh broth or something.

SPEAKER_00 24:12

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right. But like, for example, they weigh your plates, like your plates have to be within a certain weight category. Um, so that's something that's like that's just like a not a give me mark because it's hard to do, but that's something you can just like do it check mark. So you have to like really focus on that type of stuff because like we said, food is so hard to judge.

SPEAKER_02 24:29

Yeah, absolutely. So, Luca, what is your favorite meal to cook, whether in competition or at home? What's what's your go-to?

SPEAKER_00 24:39

That's so hard to say. I feel like that's always the question people ask me when I say color, like what's your signature dish? Or like, what's your thing to cook? I'm like, I don't know yet. I like to cook everything. Um let me see. I honestly love baking a lot. Like baking's I love baking. I've been baking a lot of bread late recently. So as of late, I love making pretzel buns. Honestly, like making pretzel buns is really fun.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

Stuffed pretzel buns. Um, yeah, I did like that sounds great.

SPEAKER_00 25:04

Yeah, that was really yummy. Um, I like doing a lot of butchery. I've I'm learning it a lot. So if I have to like butcher a chicken or butcher a duck, so anything that has to do with that, yeah. It's hard to say. I feel like I haven't learned enough yet to really choose something.

SPEAKER_02 25:19

Very cool. And I think baking too, on the other hand of things, is like it's you have to hit like the exact salt level, the ex like exact flour, or else something's off and it can go completely flat, right?

SPEAKER_00 25:31

You're done, yeah. Like I was talking to the the baking competitor from Canada, and she told me what she has to do. I'm like, that's insane. Because if you mess up one thing, like the tiniest thing, you're you're like you're done for cooking. You don't have to really care about measurements, stuff like that. Like, I can adapt, but you like you don't tear your scale properly, like you're done. You're over. Yeah, but they are still very similar, but yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

Yeah. So headed to China, is there something that makes you nervous? Are you a traveler? Are you you know scared of something? Is you know, like, should you have been prepping more about something?

SPEAKER_00 26:06

I feel like I've done everything and I'm gonna continue to do everything to be the most prepared that I can. Um I'm trying to think. Not really, I'm ready to take it on. In case many of my competitors are listening, I can't let them know if I'm gonna listen. So no, I feel great.

SPEAKER_02 26:23

That's awesome. So obviously, like I I asked the question to a lot of other competitors is like, are you scared of the food over there?

SPEAKER_00 26:32

Not at all. I am excited for the food. My dad's been to China a couple times, and you've taken you've eaten some pretty like things that you wouldn't see in Canada, but that's what I'm excited for. Yeah, yeah. I'm very excited. I love dumplings, so I'm gonna eat soup dumplings every single day.

SPEAKER_02 26:49

Are you uh are you worried about the jet lag at all?

SPEAKER_00 26:53

A little bit. That's like a little something that I'm worried about, but I'm thinking that everyone, like most of the competitors, have to deal with it. It's just who deals with it the most the best.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

Yeah, not stressed out at all. No, no, no, no. So for both of you, I'll ask you separately, but Luca, for you, what is your favorite part about uh being part of Team Canada?

SPEAKER_00 27:18

I just honestly, it's been like little Luca's dream since I was doing gymnastics to be a part of Team Canada. So it's just I'm finally doing it, and I'm just really proud of myself and little me. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:30

That's awesome. What about you, Andrew, to to to have your daughter represent Canada? Like, what's what's your favorite part of all this? The the whole journey?

SPEAKER_01 27:38

I think it was it's eliminated the the doubt she had when she was considering going into culinary versus like a traditional university

Shanghai Nerves, Team Canada Pride

SPEAKER_01 27:50

degree program. You know, she was really doubting herself. Should I follow my passion and do this, or should I go something that maybe is a little more traditional, right? And so this just proves that she she made the right decision and she followed her heart. I know it sounds super cheesy. It's true. It's true.

SPEAKER_02 28:10

Yeah, I mean, yeah, if you enjoy what you're doing, everything's gonna kind of fall into place.

SPEAKER_01 28:14

And look what happens. You know, you have to work, it's not gonna come easily, but still, yeah, but it makes work a lot more enjoyable.

SPEAKER_02 28:22

Absolutely. Yeah, so Luca, as we wrap this up here, yeah. What is something you would tell a young person about the trades or somebody who's looking to get into the trades but doesn't know how to start?

SPEAKER_00 28:37

I went to actually my old high school teacher's grade eight class to talk about how great the trades are because I think that people just really undervalue them. Like in my school, they would put you in like a college stream or university stream, and they'd be like, if your grades are a little lower, you're gonna go to the college stream. And I'm like, what? What does that even mean? Like it's the most ridiculous. I think they've stopped it now, but I thought that was the most ridiculous thing ever. I think that the trades are so undervalued, underappreciated, and just so underlooked by students. I also think that people think really differently. So some person might not be suited to sit at a desk and look at a computer all day. You have to be up, you have to be moving. I just think that people have to like get out of this mindset that if you're like not going to university, then you're kind of then you're like, yeah, you're choosing like the second best option. That's not true at all.

SPEAKER_02 29:26

Yeah, yeah. No, complete I completely agree with you. Yeah. Yeah. And I think too, is like, what do you think about um, like, is there any is there any events or is there any like, do you just show up to a place and start asking questions? Like, is there somewhere for people, young people to go to to kind of get these answers or to get their hands on the tools?

SPEAKER_00 29:46

That's a great point.

SPEAKER_01 29:47

Um can I jump in first? Yeah, I think what Luca did that helped her fall in love with George Brown is she went to well, she went to different open houses with that the colleges were happening, she did them at universities, so she explored everything, right? And I think the open house at George Brown really helped open her eyes to what it's like in that environment, and it it helped a lot for sure. I would tell parents to take their kids to open houses and just get a taste of it.

SPEAKER_00 30:15

Yeah, yeah, yeah. My dad, we both went twice because I was so unsure, but every time I was like, Oh my god, this is so cool! Like, I'm a big Harry Potter fan. I was like, I feel like I'm in Hogwarts, like it's just amazing.

SPEAKER_02 30:24

Love it, love

Lessons, Memories, And Sign Off

SPEAKER_02 30:25

it. That is awesome. So before before we wrap up here, is there a story or a memory that you could leave us with? Your your something from your competition from starting out to right now, is there something that sticks with you throughout all this or both of you?

SPEAKER_00 30:42

Um, when I did my first ever like skill competition at Provincials last year, I asked me these little like crouton crackers and I burnt them three times. Like I burnt them twice before my lunch break, and I told my chefs, I was like, I burnt them twice. They're like, okay, don't do it again. Burnt it a third time. Um, but that's just really funny because a good reminder that that can go terribly wrong and just like not what you plan, but you can still pull it out. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:08

Awesome. Um, I'm trying to remember my story. I think it was when you competed at Nationals in Winnipeg. In Saskatchewan, Regina. Regina. Regina. That's where I'm from.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

Really? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

I spent a lot of my life in Saskatoon, so went to high school and elementary there. Yeah. Um, so when we yeah, I could only get there. I wanted to see your competition. Um, but I could there was no hotels, so I had to fly in and fly out during skills competition.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

He was literally came for one day. Oh, it's gonna be one of mine too. You came for one day, watched me then went straight back to the airport.

SPEAKER_01 31:41

At the same time, the wildfires were going on, so we're in the competition. Do you remember that? And this competition.

SPEAKER_02 31:48

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 31:50

I think, yeah, that that I won't forget.

SPEAKER_02 31:52

That was a good memory. Yeah. Well, thank you guys so much for being my guests. Um, you know, like thank you everyone for tuning in to the CWB Association Welding Podcast and our special series with Skills Competence Canada as we support and shine a light on uh Team Canada as they head to world skills in Shanghai, China. Be sure to follow us on your favorite uh channels um and share this with everyone that you love.