Date: February 24, 2025

Time: 7 p.m. AT

Location: Microsoft Teams Link (Note: a link will be shared with attendees closer to the event)

Register HERE.

This Acadia Alumni virtual event will feature former student-athletes exploring how their experiences at Acadia shaped their lives.

The discussion will be moderated by Alumni Association Director and former Acadia basketball star Shaquille Smith (’16) and Executive Director, Alumni Relations Oonagh Proudfoot (’93, ’06). Panelists will include Ted Upshaw (’80), Brian Walling (’87), and Véronique Russell (’16).

Panelist bios:

Ted Upshaw (’80)

Windsor Regional graduate Ted Upshaw, rated a High School All-Canadian, was an outstanding basketball Axeman from the fall of ’76 to the spring of ’81. During these five academic years he was a standout athlete on the Acadia hoop squads that won a national title and a couple of runner-up awards in Canadian championship play.

During his rookie season of ’76 -’77 Ted was considered to be Acadia’s “sixth man” behind such luminaries as Alvin Jessamy (’79) and Ed Shannon (’79) on the Dick Hunt-coached national championship squad. For his sophomore season he exhibited vast improvement in all facets of his game, benefiting from summer performances with the National Junior Olympic team.

As the Axemen defeated StFX, UNB, Laurentian and York in playoff action before bowing to St. Mary’s 99-91 in the CIAU championship game, Ted, combining with such all-stars as Mike Hazard (’81), Vic Soares and Gordie West (’78), achieved impressive offensive numbers.

During his junior year in Axeman attire, he continued to polish his skills scoring, for example, in a three-game Nova Scotia Invitational Tournament a total of 80 points. Leading the Axemen in rebounds with 7.5 per game and increasing his scoring to just under 19 points per contest, this gifted Hants County native was voted to the conference’s second All-Star team and received the Gib Chapman Award, representing the squad’s best all-round team player.

His graduation year, 1979-80, was filled with great moments and much-deserved accolades. His scoring average improved to 23 points per game and his rebounding increased to just fewer than 10 per contest.

As a club, the Upshaw-inspired Axemen fittingly won the first annual Stu Aberdeen Basketball Tournament, in the final contest defeating York, 90-83. Posting impressive numbers in regular schedule play, the Axemen lost to SMU 86-85 in the AUAA final. Individual honours included the prestigious MVP award in conference play, first team All-Star selection in the AUAA and second team accolades in cross-Canada voting.

Returning to Acadia during the ’80-’81 academic year, Ted was a major contributor to the Ian MacMillan record-breaking squad that was inducted into the University’s Sports Hall of Fame.

Ted established Acadia records in league play for most field goals (215) and most points (524). Averaging 29 points per game and 10 rebounds per contest, he again collected major awards. He was Acadia’s basketball MVP and the school’s top male athlete, the AUAA’s most valuable player and first team All-Star and CIAU All-Canadian.

More recently, Ted retired from the RCMP and was a member of the Acadia Alumni Association Board from 2017-2023.

 

Brian Walling ('87)

Brian Walling was a standout running back for Acadia University from 1982 to 1986 and made significant contributions to the Axemen football program. Over his five-season tenure, he amassed 3,084 rushing yards, positioning him as the fifth all-time leading rusher in the Atlantic Conference.

While at Acadia, Walling was recognized as a three-time conference All-Star and a two-time Atlantic conference (MVP). In his final season, his 1,122-yard performance eclipsed the national rushing record, which had previously stood for twenty years, earning him his second consecutive nomination for the Hec Crighton Trophy, awarded to Canada's top university football player.

Brian was awarded Male Athlete of the Year in 1985 and Co-Male Athlete of the Year in 1986.

Following his successful university career, Brian garnered interest from two NFL teams: the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Dolphins. He ultimately signed with the Dolphins, and despite a strong performance and competing for four weeks, he was released on the last day of training camp.

With his NFL aspirations suppressed, Brian pivoted and pursued a career in the Canadian Football League (CFL), where he played for the Toronto Argonauts (1987), Edmonton Eskimos (1988-1995), Saskatchewan Roughriders (1989), and Hamilton Tiger-Cats (1996).

During his decade-long CFL career as a running back, fullback, and special teams player, he appeared in three Grey Cup championships and earned two Grey Cup rings. He accumulated 1,059 rushing yards on 213 attempts and 32 receptions for 219 yards and six total touchdowns.

Walling's exceptional contributions to Acadia football were further recognized when he was named to the university's all-decade team for the 1980s and again when he was inducted into the Acadia Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Since the end of his CFL career, Brian has pursued a career in financial services and is now in his 28^th year as an investment and insurance advisor with iA Private Wealth in Edmonton, Alberta.

 

Véronique Russell (’16)

Véronique, originally from Markham, ON, now calls Dublin, Ireland home, where she thrives as a post-primary educator. A former varsity rugby star at Acadia University, Véronique’s athletic achievements are commendable. In her final year, she not only helped lead the team to a 2015 AUS Championship but was also named to the AUS All-Star team, earned All-Canadian honours and was celebrated as one of the Top 15 Women’s Rugby Athletes of the Decade (2010-2019).

Despite early success in financial marketing after earning a post-graduate certificate from George Brown College, Véronique felt drawn to more meaningful work. Inspired by her family’s roots in education, she made a bold career shift, trading her corporate role for the classroom. This leap was a natural progression, given her passion for shaping minds and fostering change.

Véronique’s dedication extends beyond teaching. She is a curriculum builder and workshop speaker for the Get REAL Movement, where she champions diversity and inclusion. Additionally, she served as a research assistant at the University of New Brunswick, where she earned her Bachelor of Education in 2022.

In August 2023, Véronique completed her Master of Education at Trinity College Dublin, with a dissertation titled, "Unveiling Narratives, Shaping Perspectives: Investigating Black History Representation in Canadian Curricula." Her work explores how untold stories of visible minorities can be more deeply integrated into Canadian education systems, with the ultimate aim of influencing educators and policymakers alike.

With a remarkable blend of athletic prowess, academic excellence, and a passion for social change, Véronique is on a mission to reshape the future of education—one curriculum at a time.