Heeding the Call of Turtle and Black Jaguar
By Marlene Martzke, Staff Writer
Feats of athletic strength, prowess, and skill are often attributed to determination, commitment, training, and guts. But in a world where the difference between victory and defeat can be measured in one-hundredths of a second, sometimes it takes a little more. Call in Sandra Molendyk, Organizational Leadership student and sport shaman. A resident of Vancouver, B.C., Molendyk is a spiritual healer who has been practicing her unique brand of healing arts for 17 years. World-class athletes feel her unusual talent has given them a new edge to their performance.
“My work creates confidence, competence, peace, and flow in athletes which brings out their best mentally and physically. Clients heal faster and find more enjoyment in their lives, work, sport, and relationships,” says Molendyk.
The Canadian Olympic Skeleton Team agrees. Athlete, Jon Montgomery won gold in men’s skeleton in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. His helmet sports images of a turtle and thunderbird after being inspired when the team visited Molendyk for a retreat arranged by Coach Kelly Forbes. The team was seeking camaraderie and wanted to honor the spirit, land and people where the race would take place. Consulting with a sport shaman proved the right match.
Molendyk explains, “I provide a helping hand to athletes and non-athletes to find their inner calm and guiding spirit. We can find this for ourselves but it helps when someone helps us. I see this as utilizing our ‘God given gifts’ for the sake of society.”
Sandra Molendyk, Photo by Patricia Minnis Photography
No stranger to sports herself, in addition to be a Gold Dance Figure Skater and skating coach, Molendyk participated as a member for Team Canada for Triathlons 2007 and ‘08.
The sport shaman discovered the power of imagery as a figure skater back in 1982. To improve her routine, at night she would imagine herself skating beautifully to music until she fell asleep. As time passed, she came to realize how this early practice with imagery affected her life.
Then in 1996, Molendyk suffered a snowboarding accident that ripped her leg open. She was told the injury would require surgery if she were ever to walk again properly. Coming out of that dark moment required drawing upon her healing beliefs to help her self.
She recounts that time, “After just two weeks, my doctor was astonished and stated ‘angels must have healed you’. Later, I discovered I could heal others and my methods greatly helped people who felt their spirit was injured because of childhood traumas.”
As with the inception of most shamans, Molendyk acquired her calling after enduring the suffering induced by her harrowing injury.
“I believe becoming a shaman was a rite of passage. I suffered greatly and had to figure out a way to heal my own and other peoples’ pain and sicknesses and emerge healthy and happy,” she says.
Molendyk has practiced self-healing since 1991, and shamanism since 1996. She became a sport shaman in 2001, after a dream in which she envisioned Turtle and Black Jaguar and was called “sport shaman.” Molendyk has since discovered that her family line includes other shamans on the Russian side of her family.
As she grows in her profession, she gains new spirit guides to aid in specific circumstances. For example, Black Jaguar is called upon to regain lost power, while Turtle offers knowledge and White Lion teaches how one can be of service. Molendyk has also worked with Owl, Salmon, Wolf, Bear, Hummingbird, angels, and other guides.
She says, “Whether spirit guides come to us as animals and angels — or however they appear to us –- they are a part of us. Seeing these spirits as turtle, starfish, or wolf is just a way for God and our brains to talk to us and make visual something we need to learn in our life.”
The sport arena is not the only outlet for Molendyk’s determination and quest for spirituality. She completed a bachelor’s degree in geography and a graduate diploma in business administration. Next she was drawn to Gonzaga’s website which offered “transformational leadership,” feeling that GU’s motto of “Inspire, Change, Achieve” struck a common chord with her.
“I felt Gonzaga was in alignment with my spirit. The ORGL program offered what I felt I needed with a perfect mix of study in Italy and California, without having to leave home and disrupt my relationships,” she says.
Molendyk feels that Organizational Leadership was a natural progression for her as she sought to take on new leadership roles. She looks forward to growing as a leader and continuing to inspire change in others in a positive manner.
“I believe that Sandy exhibits a number of outstanding traits as a servant-leader, especially empathy, listening, and healing,” says Dr. Larry Spears.
Spears, president of The Spears Center for Servant-Leadership and adjunct instructor for MA-ORGL 530 and DPLS courses in Servant-Leadership, forged a mentorship with Molendyk while she was a student in his Servant-Leadership class last fall.
Molendyk sees her work in harmony with leadership. She experiences times of love, peace, calm and acceptance; looking forward to being spiritually present at all times.
“When I am spiritually expansive and present, I experience immense clarity which affects my entire life,” she says.
This is evident to others who have had the chance to work with her.
“Sandy is deeply committed to growing as a servant-leader, and she seeks to serve others in their own spiritual journey. That is a winning combination in my book, and the essence of servant-leadership,” Spears says.
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You can visit Sandra Molendyk and learn more about her healing arts at:
www.sportshaman.com – improvement in sport; www.sageandcedar.ca – emotional or spiritual healing
Or contact her directly at: achieve@sportshaman.com