Ben Shannon, a graphic journalist at CBC and a proud dad residing in Toronto, shares his experience with his daughter Sumire at an unexpected international whistling competition. Initially signing up for fun, they found themselves in serious preparation mode after making the cut. With coaching from the Whistling Diva, they honed their skills and flew to Los Angeles for the Masters of Musical Whistling competition. Surrounded by talented contestants from around the world, they performed earnestly, leading Sumire to win silver in the kids’ category and Ben to secure gold in the level one adults’ category. This experience taught Ben the value of shedding irony and embracing genuine passion, proving that caring deeply about something can be rewarding.
