Jungle Jim Hunter rouses the Olympic spirit in Calgarians with his Saturday morning talk show leading up to the Vancouver Winter Games.

Around Calgary young people are perspiring, puffing, and struggling through their workouts. Among these are a select few who have a February date with destiny.

Pushing them through the exhaustion is the passionate and positive voice of an Olympian, Jungle Jim Hunter of the famed Crazy Canucks. Even though his bronze medal was at the 1972 Sapporo Olympic Games, Hunter stands as the first Canadian man to win a medal in alpine skiing.

Hardly a has-been, Hunter trains a group of athletes with lessons an Olympian learns. In a gym or on stage, he is an energetic speaker motivating athletes, parents, coaches, or business people.

A year before Vancouver's Games, Hunter began taking his message to the airwaves on Calgary's The Fan 960.

Saturday morning radio is pretty docile. Hunter is anything but. Over two high-energy hours he cajoles, bolsters and drives his athlete audience while chastising parents and coaches for negative distractions.

Hunter knows his athlete guests face the same challenges he did. He draws the lessons during uniquely perceptive interviews with the likes of Jerome Iginla, Jamie Sale and emerging athletes of the Paralympic sports. One athlete talking with another makes for unusually insightful conversation.

His energy was once devoted to skiing at 110 km/h. Now Jungle Jim directs it at a new generation of athlete. He and those athletes may be the only ones who believe their dreams, but Jungle belief is fanatical.

The Jungle Jim Hunter Show airs on Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m. on Calgary's The Fan 960 AM. The radio show also streams online; visit www.fan960.com.