Brock Graduate Takes on Canada’s Ultimate Challenge to Empower Indigenous Youth
Courtney Copoc-Hopkins (BRLS ’14, BEd ’18) wants everyone to dream big. As a competitor in the upcoming season of CBC’s Canada’s Ultimate Challenge, the proud Brock graduate is leading by example.
While Canadians will have to tune in to see how Copoc-Hopkins and her teammates fare in the reality TV competition, which turns Canada into a giant obstacle course, sharing her personal journey on a national platform is a win all on its own.
“My story of how I learned to embrace my Lenape heritage and reclaimed my Indigenous identity started with my experience at Brock. I am a first-generation university graduate, and I take a lot of pride in that,” Copoc-Hopkins said.
Experiencing intergenerational trauma growing up and facing many struggles, Copoc-Hopkins often felt confused and hid her Indigenous roots.
Brock University graduate Courtney Copoc-Hopkins (BRLS ’14, BEd ’18), centre, is making her debut on national television this weekend as a competitor on Team Red on Canada’s Ultimate Challenge on CBC.
Her first year as a Brock student in Recreation and Leisure Studies (RECL) was a transformational time in her life as Copoc-Hopkins reconnected with her Indigenous father while simultaneously embarking on her academic journey.
“The support I received at Brock helped me see what I was capable of and made me wonder what more I can do,” she said.
When she considered her future and desire to make a difference in the world, Copoc-Hopkins asked herself what the most impactful thing in her life had been.
The answer was education.
“There were gaps in my education about the truths of my history as an Indigenous woman. I wanted to be the person I had needed when I was younger, someone to help guide Indigenous youth navigating the world,” she said.
Copoc-Hopkins returned to Brock to complete an Aboriginal Adult Education degree, one of the Faculty of Education’s Indigenous Educational Studies programs. She now works in Vancouver as Post-secondary Education Counsellor with the Squamish Nation.
“I have done the hard work of learning and healing, and I take a lot of pride in using my voice to be an intergenerational trauma cycle breaker. If I can help Indigenous people through the many facets of their educational experience, that’s the real win for me,” Copoc-Hopkins said.
A thrill-seeker at heart, Copoc-Hopkins is excited to share her experience on Canada’s Ultimate Challenge — which brought out the fierce competitor in her and reignited her love for team environments — with viewers across the county.
“A fearlessness that was in me all along, that has driven my desire to step up to challenges, was fostered at Brock.”
Teams will compete in intense physical challenges travelling to Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia in pursuit of the grand prize — a team trip to the Olympic Games Paris 2024 to cheer on Team Canada this summer.
Canada’s Ultimate Challenge premieres Sunday, April 28 on CBC TV at 8 p.m. local time and is available to stream for free as of 9 a.m. ET that morning on CBC Gem.