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NOTE: for feedback, and/or a tale, technique or critique please send email to: info@portraitsocietyofcanada.com -
Nathalie Lambert is Canada’s Chef de Mission for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. She is a pioneer in short track speed skating—first introduced to the Olympic Winter Games in Calgary (1988) as a demonstration sport. Lambert’s team finished third there. In Albertville (1992), short track speed skating was a medal sport for the first time. Lambert’s team won gold. Lambert’s third Olympic appearance, in Lillehammer (1994), yielded two silvers. Lambert won many World Championships, and set many records before retiring from competition (1997). She returned to the Olympic Games as Canada’s Assistant Chef de Mission in Athens (2004), and is a long-standing member of several Halls of Fame: Canadian Olympic, Quebec’s Sports, Canada’s Sports. She has also been named as Athlete of the Year by both the Merite Sportif Quebecois and the Canadian Speed Skating Association. Lambert has been Director of Communications and Marketing at Montreal’s Club Sportif MAA since 1999. She also brings passion for sport and physical activity to motivational speaking, fitness DVDs, and a book. Diagnosed with osteoarthritis, while still speed skating competitively, Lambert became an Honorary Patron of the Arthritis Society of Quebec on retirement. A mother of two, Lambert and her husband live in Montreal. |
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Daniel Nestor was born in Belgrade,Yugoslavia Sept 4, 1972 and moved to Toronto just before his fourth birthday. He is Canada's most successful, and longest playing, tennis player. He is the world's Number 1 Doubles tennis player. He has currently won 62 tennis titles, including 4 Grand Slams and Wimbledon 2008 and 2009. In 2000, he won the Olympic Gold medal for Canada in Sydney, Australia. He also plays for Canada in the Davis Cup. Daniel attended the All Canadian Tennis Academy in Downsview, Ontario and turned pro in 1992, after a 5 set win in the Davis Cup against Stefan Edberg, the number 1 singles player at the time. Daniel participates in the "Go for Gold Fund" which raises money to support future Olympic athletes. He is also responsible for raising large amounts of money for North York General Hospital with a yearly fundraising event. Daniel married in 2005, and has a baby daughter. |
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IIan Millar was born in Nova Scotia in 1947. For more than three decades, he has been at the forefront of the Canadian equestrian scene. Ian is the most decorated equestrian in Canadian history, earning numerous medals and over 130 Grand Prix and Derby victories. He is a world champion and Olympic vice-champion of show jumping. He has participated in nine Olympic games (1972 to 1988) and has won nine canadian championships in show jumping. He has also participated in the Spruce Meadows Derby of Calgary and won six times. His latest victory was in 2009. In the 1987 Pan-American Games, Ian became the second Canadian to receive a Gold Medal in individual show jumping. With his famous horse, Big Ben, he claimed more than 40 wins in Grand Prix jumping events, worldwide. He received the Order of Canada in 1986, the highest civil distinction in this country. He co-authored a book on his riding career in 1990, entitled 'Riding High.” In 1996, his horse, Big Ben, was named to the Canadian sports Hall of Fame. In 1997, Ian became the only equestrian in the world to win a qualifying place in the World Cup for a tenth time. In 2008, at the age of 61, he received his first Olympic Gold Medal with his horse In Style, as Canada won the Nations Cup Class at the Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary Alberta. When not competing, Ian runs Millar Brooke Farm in Perth, Ontario, helping train the best show-jumpers in Canada. |
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Jim Elder enjoyed more than three decades of Equestrian success, something rarely duplicated in other sports. He led Canada's Equestrian Team to numerous victories from the 1950s to the 1980s. During his 36 years in competition, Elder competed for Canada in seven Olympic games, five Pan American Games, and three World Championships. For his outstanding riding, Elder has won two Olympic Gold medals for team competition, in Mexico City (1968) and the alternate games in Rotterdam (1980). He also won a team Olympic Bronze in Stockholm, Sweden (1956) and two Pan Am team gold medals, team and individual Pan Am silvers, and two team Pan Am bronzes (Chicago, USA 1959; Cali, Columbia 1971; Caracus, Venezuela 1983; Mexico City, Mexico 1975). In 1970, he won a gold medal with the national team at the World Championships in France. Elder has also captured numerous other international classes and championships in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Venezuela, South Africa, and Australia.
In 1983 he was honoured with the Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian sport and humanitarian causes. |
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Helen Nichol is one of Canada's most accomplished female Badminton players. She was born on February 18, 1981. Her sporting accomplishments include: PanAm Games, 2003 (Gold Medalist), Dominican Republlic International, 2003 (Gold Medalist), Brazil International, 2003 (Gold Medalist), Pan Am Team Championships, 2004 (Gold Medalist), CaReBaCo International, 2004 (2 gold Medals), Athens Olympics 2004 (17th place finish), Pan American Championships 2005 (2 gold Medals), Cuba "Giraldilla" International, 2005 (Gold Medalist), World Championships, 2005 (17th place finish), Brazil International, 2005 (Gold Medalist), Cuba International, 2005 (Gold Medalist), Canadian National Championships, 2006 (Gold Medalist). |
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Clara Hughes’s Olympic dreams began in 1988, when she caught her first glimpse of the Winter Games on Television. Watching speed skaters glide around the oval inspired her to believe that one day she, too, could represent Canada in that same sport. Little did she imagine that in pursuing her speed skating dream, she would first compete in two Summer Olympic Games, in another sport—cycling. With over one hundred victories under her belt, including two Bronze Medals in the 1996 Olympic Summer Games, Clara had established herself as one of the best cyclists in the world. It was now time to refocus and pursue her Speed Skating Dream. During the 2002 Olympic Games, only sixteen months after competing in her second Summer Olympics as a cyclist, Clara won a Bronze Medal in the grueling 5000m speed skating event. This, along with her two medals for Cycling from the 1996 Summer Olympics, made Clara the only Canadian, and fourth ever athlete in history, to win medals in both Winter and Summer Games. In Torino, Italy, in 2006, Clara won gold in a gripping race that saw her take the lead with only 200m to go. After winning gold at the 2006 Olympics, Clara donated $10,000 of personal funds to Right to Play in order to raise awareness. She challenged Canadian business and individuals to match her donation or give what they can. To date, over $400,000 has been raised, and, in recent years, Clara has travelled to Africa (Ethiopia an Ghana) to help draw attention to Right to Play programs. |
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Billy Bridges was born in Summerside, PEI. He is a Paralympic Gold Medalist in Sledge Hockey. Living with the effects of Spina Bifida, his limited mobility means he uses crutches. This disability hasn’t stopped Billy from gaining international notoriety as a powerful hockey player. Billy started playing sledge hockey in 1996 and made the National Team at 14 years of age. He holds the record for the youngest player to be selected to Canada’s National Sledge Hockey Team. As a centreman, Billy is a major scoring threat with his 80 m.p.h. slapshot—that he takes with one arm! He has participated in two Paralympic Games ('02, '06) where he's twice earned All-Star accolades and was a member of the Paralympic Gold Medal winning team in Torino, Italy Billy is also a two-time World Champion and has twice been named Championship MVP ('05, '06). Billy also competes in Wheelchair Basketball, where he has been a member of two World Jr. Championship Teams. Billy is a student at the University of Toronto, and is pursuing a degree in English literature. He lives in Mississauga with his fiance, Sami Jo Small. A three-time Olympian, Billy Bridges is definitely a player to look for in the upcoming Paralympics in Vancouver 2010. |
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Josh McGuire is a three-time Canadian champion. Born in 1983, he started fencing when he was only six years old, taking lessons at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. He has been a member of Canada's National Men's Foil teams since 1996, and has proven himself time and again. In 2000, not only did Josh win gold at Canada's Nationals, in both the junior and senior categories, he also came first at the Cadet World Championships. His career has been on the rise since, with a qualification for, and 29th place finish at, the 2004 Athens Olympics when he was 21. After Athens, he won Gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Championships, Gold in both team and individual competitions at the 2006 Pan-American Championships, and Silver at one of the same competitions the following year (2007). In 2008, in Beijing, he achieved his goal of ranking in the top 16. |
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Yann Mathieu is a Wheelchair Tennis Athlete. In 2008, he and three other Wheelchair Tennis Players representing Canada, attended the 2008 Summer Paralympic Games in Beijing. Appointed by the Canadian Paralympic Committee, these athletes are the best in their class. Yann trained for the Paralympics in a high performance system, which provides coaching and resources to help athletes to achieve their optimum performance. He competed against 64 of the world’s best athletes in men's singles and doubles events. Yann resides in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec and is currently ranked no. 2 in Men's Wheelchair Tennis in Canada. He has a world ranking of no. 22 in Men’s Singles. This allows him to compete in his first Grand Slam events at the British Open and the US Open this year. He won numerous titles in 2009, including the Windsor Indoor Classic, the Texas Open Championship, and the Florida Open. In 2009, Tennis Canada selected Yann and eight other Wheelchair Tennis Players for the 2009 National Program for Wheelchair Tennis. These players will continue their intense training and preparation for the next four years, leading to the 2012 Paralympic Games. |
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Evert Bastet was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He moved with his family to Dorval in 1955 at the age of five. Evert grew up beside Dorval's Yacht Club, where he began sailing at the age of nine and competing at age 11. His first win at the National Level was in Calgary in 1965 when he won the title of Canadian Junior Champion. He first raced the Flying Dutchman in the Olympics at age 18 (Mexico, 1968). He was again selected to compete for Canada in the Flying Dutchman class for Olympics at Munich (1972), Montreal (1976), Moscow (1980), Los Angeles (1984), Seoul (1988) and Barcelona (1992). When the Games came to Montreal in 1976, Evert just missed the podium with a 4th place finish. In 1984, he and new partner Terry Mclaughlin took home the Silver Medal. In 1994, Evert was inducted into the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame after a sailing career which had earned him selection to seven Canadian Olympic Teams. He is also a member of the Quebec Sports Hall of fame. Evert is active with the Royal St. Lawrence and Hudson Yacht Clubs. He has been a manager of Canadian teams at most major international events and has also supervised junior programs. Evert and his wife, Valerie, have two daughters. Nicole, 20, has followed Dad into competition. For 30 years, Evert has owned a fabrication shop in Hudson that makes aluminum masts for sailboats. |
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Sasha Mehmedovic was born in Pancevo,Yugoslavia, but has made North York, Ontario, home.
He won Bronze at the 2008 Pan American Judo Championships in Miami and represented Canada in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. He trains in both Montreal and North York. Sasha’s career Highlights include: 2008, 3rd Super World Cup, Hamburg, Germany; 2007, 3rd Pan-Am Championships, Canada; 2007, 1st Swiss Open, Switzerland; 2005, 2nd Estonia World Cup, Estonia; 2007, 7th World Championships, Brazil. His favourite Technique is Kata-Guruma Uchi-Mata Seio-nage, and a Judo tip he recommends is to learn techniques on both the left and right so that you can surprise your opponent. His career highlights are: 2008, Super World Cup, 3rd; 2007, Pan American Championships, 3rd; 2007, World Championships, 7th; 2007, Pan American Games, 3rd. |
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Sami Jo Small grew up on the outdoor hockey rinks of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her passion for the game was honed in the Boys’ Minor Hockey System. As the only girl, she was forced, each and every day, to prove that she belonged. This came through hard work and determination. Like her teammates, she dreamed of playing in the NHL. But, she also had a greater personal dream: to step onto the podium at the Olympic Games. She accepted a scholarship to Stanford University for Track and Field to throw the discus and javelin. Her dream of participating in the Olympic Games flourished until injury plagued her career. She assuaged her feelings of failure by returning to the game she grew up loving: hockey. Her passion for this sport was reawakened as she played on the Stanford Men’s Team, garnering PAC-10 MVP honours while earning a degree in mechanical engineering. Sami Jo’s childhood dream became a reality when she accepted a spot on the 1998 Nagaon, Japan Olympic Games team. Women’s Hockey was on the rise, and Sami Jo was a huge part of its success. She has, since, won five World Championships and twice been named Championship MVP. She is a three time Olympian and has been a member of two Olympic Gold Medal Winning teams including in Torino, Italy. Sami Jo currently trains full-time in Toronto, and helped start the Canadian Women's Hockey League, where she plays for the Mississauga Chiefs. |
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Barbara Ann Scott captured Gold in the ladies figure skating at the 1948 Olympic Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland: the only Canadian woman in history to win that coveted medal. This Canadian skating legend achieved her triumphs with the help of coach Sheldon Galbraith of Toronto, the same man who also inspired Oshawa's Don Jackson: the first Canadian man to celebrate Gold in a World Championship. Galbraith also contributed to the success of skaters Barbara Wagner and Bob Paul, who achieved the Pairs Gold Medal in the 1960's Olympics in Squaw Valley, California. Barbara Ann was awarded the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's most outstanding athlete in 1945, '47 and '48, and was inducted into the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 1991. Among many other awards she is also an Officer of the Order of Canada and is listed on Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto. Barbara Ann married Thomas King, a Chicago businessman and former football athlete, and is still active in figure skating and charity work. |
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Silken Suzette Laumann, MSC was born in 1964, in Mississauga, Ontario. She is a Canadian Champion Rower. Since 1976, Silken Suzette has won many awards, including a Gold Medal in Quadruple Sculls at the US Championships, two Gold Medals in Single Sculls at the Pan American Games, a Bronze Medal at the 1984 Olympics in the Double Sculls with her sister Daniele. At the 1988 Olympics, Laumann finished seventh in the Double Scull. Laumann won a Silver Medal in Single Sculls at the 1990 World Championships, and the Gold Medal at the following year's World Championships. The most famous incident in Laumann's career was during her training leading up to the 1992 Summer Olympics. Her shell was involved in a collision, and despite serious leg injuries, five operations, and a total hospital stay in the hospital of approximately three weeks, Laumann won a Bronze medal/ She was subsequently named Canadian of the Year by the Canadian Club. Silen Suzette’s final competitive race was at the 1996 Summer Olympics, where she won a Silver in Single Sculls. In 1998, she announced her retirement and was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. In 1999, she was awarded the Thomas Keller Medal for her outstanding international rowing career. She now lives in Victoria, British Columbia. |
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Joannie Rochette is 5-time Canadian Champion in Women’s Single Figure Skating and reigning World Silver medalist. At the 2006 Olympic Games, in Turin, Italy, she placed 5th. Her elegant style and remarkable athleticism are a joy to watch. Joannie has represented Canada in several dozen international competitions. She has won medals in Canada, France, Germany, China and Russia and has stood on the podium 12 times in Grand Prix Series Competitions, alone. She has participated in the World Figure Skating Championships every year since 2003 and has finished in the top ten four times. Born in Ile Dupas, Quebec, in 1986, she began skating at the age of six. She lives and trains in Montreal. She is an inspiration to young skaters and a gift to her devoted audience. |
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Ole Sorensen, a baker’s son from St. Catherines Ontario was Canada’s only Greco-Roman style wrestler at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games. A former national university and Canadian open wrestling champion; Sorensen also represented Canada at the World Universiade, Commonwealth Games and Senior World Championships. When asked, Sorensen described his Olympic experience as bitter sweet. The great privilege to represent Canada at the Olympic Game, was saddened by the deaths of the Israel’s athletes (many of Whom were wrestlers) during the terrorist attack on the Munich Athletes Village. Following degrees at the university of Western Ontario and The University of Alberta, Sorensen served on the Faculty of Human Kinetics at Windsor University, was Canada’s first National Technical Director for wrestling and is currently a senior consultant at the Federal Ministry of Sport. As the director for the government of Canada’s anti-doping program, Sorensen was charged with managing the government’s relation with the infamous Ben Johnson doping inquiry. Sorensen’s sport activities now focus on marathon running, xc/alpine skiing, and cycling. “The combative sport days are over but they remain some of my most intense memories and were the source of many of my most treasured friendships today” |
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Angus Mortimer has been kayaking since he was 10 years old, when he joined the Rideau Canoe Club in Ottawa. Paddling as a member of Team Canada, he attended his first World Championships in 2005, finishing 14th in the K4 500m event. The following year, he competed in K2 1,000m at the World Championships, making it to the semi-final. Angus had a breakthrough in 2007, winning 3 medals at the Pan-American Games in Brazil: gold in the K1 1,000m and silver in the K1 500m and K4 1,000m. In 2008, he attended the Olympics in Beijing, where he was part of the youngest crew in the K4 1,000m final, coming in 9th place. In January, 2009, Angus and one of his K4 team mates, Rhys Hill, were crowned co-male Athletes of the Year for the City of Ottawa, based on their accomplishments in China. They were the first co-winners of the award. During the summer, Angus splits his time between training at the canoe club, and at an Olympic training centre in Montreal. In the late winter and early spring, he lives and trains in Florida. he is a student at Carleton University, majoring in Music. |
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Donovan Bailey (born December 16, 1967) is a retired Canadian sprinter who once held the world record for the 100 metre race following his gold medal performance in the 1996 Olympic Games. He was the first Canadian to legally break the 10-second barrier in the 100 m.At the 1995 World Track & Field Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden, Bailey won both the 100 metre sprint and the 4 x 100 metre relay titles.As a precursor to the centennial Olympics being held in Atlanta, Bailey broke the indoor 50 m world record during a competition in Reno, Nevada in 1996. He was timed at 5.56A seconds. Maurice Greene matched that performance in 1999, but his run was never ratified as a world record. Bailey repeated the "double" at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, setting a world record of 9.84s +0.7 m/s wind in the 100 m (the previous record was set in July 1994 by American Leroy Burrell at 9.85 seconds). Many Canadians felt his victory restored the image of Canadian athletes, which had been tarnished by Ben Johnson's previous disqualified win at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. Bailey was the second person to hold all the major titles in the 100 m concurrently (World Champion, Olympic Champion & World Record Holder); Carl Lewis was the first to achieve this feat.Bailey won a third world title in 1997 with the Canadian relay team, while finishing second in the 100 m behind Maurice Greene.After the 1997 season, Bailey ruptured his Achilles tendon during the post season 98; effectively ending his career. He made a second attempt in the 2000 Summer Olympics for Olympic glory but suffered from pneumonia and dropped out during the rounds. He retired from the sport in 2001, having been a five-time World and Olympic champion. |
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Alex Baumann is an Officer of the Order of Canada, appointee of the Order of Ontario, and member of the Canadian Sports and Canadian Amateur Sports Halls of Fame. He has an Honorary PhD in Physical Education (Laurentian University) and was World Male Swimmer of the Year twice (1981,1984). Alex swam at the 1984 Olympic Games, winning gold, and setting world-records for both the 200 and 400 metre individual medley races. He won five more gold, and two silver medals, at Commonwealth Games (1982,1986) and two gold, four silver, and six bronze at other Games: World University, Pan Pacific, and World Championship. In 1991, Alex pursued graduate studies at the University of Queensland, Australia, later working for the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) and the Queensland Government. From 1999, he was Chief Executive Officer of Queensland Swimming. >From 2002, he was Executive Director of QAS, overseeing Athlete and Coach Support Services, Regional Services, and the Centre of Excellence for Applied Sport Science Research. He helped make sure Australian athletes had the best resources to attain optimum podium performance at Olympic and Paralympic Games. In 2007, Alex returned to Canada, becoming Executive Director of the Road to Excellence (RTE) program, now called Own the Podium (OTP). This program aims to re-establish Canada internationally as a leading sports nation with a top 12 finish at the Olympics and top eight finish at the Paralympics (London, 2012). In 2009, Alex became Chief Technical Officer, responsible for all OTP summer and winter technical programming. |
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Kalyna Roberge was born in St-Etienne-de-Lauzon and currently lives in Montreal. She is a Canadian Speed skater who started speed skating at seven years of age after watching her brothers skate. Named Female Althlete of the Year in 2008 at the Canadian Sports awards and Female Skater of the Year for short track by Speed Skating Canada in both ’07 and ‘08, she is a rising star and named as such in ’05 for short track by Speed Skating Canada. Winner of a silver medal in relay at the 2006 Olympics games in Turin, she is a serious medal contender for this year’s games in Vancouver. She has been enjoying a seemingly continuous medal run winning most recently, in November, a silver in the 500m at the World Cup in Michigan. Her athletic achievements are many and these are merely a few of the highlights. I met Kalyna at the Maurice Richard arena in Montreal as she was training for the upcoming games. On the ice, she embodies elegance and breathtaking speed and because of this she is an inspiration. Canada’s first recorded ice skating race took place when three army officers sped down the Saint Lawrence river travelling at great
velocities from Montreal to Quebec city. Since then speed skating has become a part of Canada’s winter life. |
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Becky Kellar was born January 1, 1975 in Hagersville, Ontario and plays defence for Canada’s Olympic Hockey team.
Kellar played for Canada in:
the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where she won a silver medal
in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, where she won a gold medal
in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, where she won a second gold medal
and will be playing again in the Winter Olympics in 2010 in Vancouver, B.C., and if she medals, will be one of the first Canadians to win medals in four consecutive Olympics.
Becky attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island from 1993-1997 and played on the ice hockey team, as well as 2nd base on the softball team. She graduated with a B.A in Psychology and a Teaching Certificate. She was inducted into the Brown Athletics Hall of Fame in April 2005.
She currently plays for the Burlington Barracudas of the Canadian Women's Hockey League.
In the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, she was voted the CWHL Top Defender and a CWHL Central All-Star.
Becky is married and lives in Burlington, Ontario. She welcomed her first son, Owen, on October 22, 2004 and her second son, Zachary, on January 25, 2007. |
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Tracy Cameron was born in Nova Scotia in 1975, her hometown is Shubenacadie.
Her current club affiliation is the Calgary Rowing Club.
Tracy competed and won a bronze medal at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China in the women's lightweight doubles with partner Melanie Kok.
Other key results include: 2008 - 1st in the lwt. double, World Cup, Poznan, Poland; 2008 - 3rd in the lwt. double, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland; 2007 - 2nd in the lwt double, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland; 2007 - 3rd in the lwt double, World Cup, Linz, Austria; 2006 - 1st in the lwt double, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland; 2006 - 1st in the lwt single, World Cup, Munich, Germany; 2005 - 1st in the lwt quad, World Championships, Gifu, Japan
Tracy Has her MSc(Sport Medicine) and BPE(H) Exercise Science. She travels extensively, enjoying all outdoor adventures and activities. Tracy also holds a Chef’s Diploma from Natural Gourmet Institute for Health & Culinary Arts, and enjoys cooking for family and friends. Tracy is now preparing for the 2012 summer Olympic Games in London, and states, “In the lead up to the Summer Olympic Games in London (2012) I want to create an all Canadian power team. I want to surround myself with individuals and companies who want to make an impact on the lives of Canadians. Personally, I am on a mission to make an impact on the health of Canadian’s by demonstrating that active living and eating mainly whole, real foods along with natural healing methods is the key to health and high performance. I want to show that in Canada we are the real deal". |
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John and Paul Craig were born in Toronto on September 2, 1953. Raised by parents who encouraged them at every turn, and coached by a few remarkable men, they attended the University of Texas in Austin, winning several SWC Championships along the way. Paul represented Canada at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, setting a Canadian record in the 1,500m and getting into the semi-final. His record stood for 11 years. He finished 7th in the World Championships in 1979 while John finished 8th in the World Championships in 1981 in Rome. Both John and Paul were members of the Canadian Olympic Team in 1980, but did not go to Moscow when Canada supported a western boycott of those Olympics as a protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Both Paul and John were members of various Canadian teams, including the Commonwealth Games and Pan Am Games teams, and both held several Canadian records over their careers. John and Paul were members of a 4X800m relay team that held a Commonwealth record for over 30 years. Between them they captured 12 Canadian Championship gold medals. |
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