Forty years ago, Bret Hart left Mount Royal to pursue a wrestling career before he could earn a degree.
Bret “The Hitman” Hart became a wrestling superstar in the 80s and 90s.
On Friday, Mount Royal University gave the now 60-year-old an honorary degree — a Bachelor of Health and Physical Education/Physical Literacy.
“It means a lot to me,” Hart said. “My mother and my father urged me years ago to get a degree and they would have been really proud.”
Hart spoke at a convocation at the university for graduating students on Friday. The stroke and cancer survivor told everyone to follow their heart.
“You’ve got to struggle sometimes in life,” Hart said. “If you’re a good person and do good things, good things will happen for you and I believe if you work hard — like these young kids have today to get their degrees the right way — that good things will come from that.”
Just over 1,700 students graduated from Mount Royal University this spring — the school’s largest class ever.