How coming home to Saskatoon helped hurdler Michelle Harrison qualify for her first Olympics
CBC
Saskatoon may not be the first place that comes to mind as a hotbed for breeding track and field Olympians, but hurdler Michelle Harrison says coming home helped her qualify for her first Olympics.
Next month, Harrison will compete for Canada in the 100-metre hurdles, fulfilling her lifelong dream of competing on the sport's biggest stage.
Coming out of high school Harrison left the province to pursue training opportunities but struggled to find her stride. She returned to Saskatoon in 2017, unsure if she would continue competing in the sport.
"It took me a while to be able to find a training environment that worked well for me," Harrison said.
"Luckily I was able to have success training here in Saskatoon, because I was always pushed away from Saskatoon [when I was] really young, but I ended up doing my best running here."
The three-time national champion had to overcome many obstacles on and off the track to qualify for her first Olympics at 31 years old.
WATCH | Hurdler Michelle Harrison fulfilling lifelong dream of competing on sport's biggest stage:
They included various injuries and years of competing with undiagnosed relative energy deficiency in sport, or REDS. That condition results from an imbalance in the energy the athlete takes in from food compared to the energy they're expending during exercise.
"I don't know if I would have been where I am today without all that — it definitely just made me a stronger person, and it made everything kind of a lot more worthwhile in the end," Harrison said.
Harrison said Saskatchewan's tight knit track and field community supporting her through the highs and lows played a role in helping to take her track and field career to the next level.
That includes fellow Evan Hardy Collegiate graduate and her personal coach Jason Reindl.
Reindl said Harrison's story of resilience is inspirational because most track and field athletes are in their prime during their 20s.
"It's kind of flipping the script. It's kind of reinforcing that there aren't hard-written rules in regards to when you have to retire, whether it's post-pregnancy or into your 30s, the most important thing is just health," said Reindl, who is also head coach of the University of Saskatchewan's track and field team.
In Paris, Harrison hopes to run a personal best, have the chance to race for a medal and show the power of never giving up on your dreams.
People are descending upon the city for the dozens of events and live music performances this week as the Juno Awards are set to take place Sunday at Hamilton's TD Coliseum.
For nearly two decades, Amanda Loewen's world ended where the pavement did.
The notion that home ownership guarantees financial security in old age is being challenged by a recent survey.
The family of Nash Prystie has identified him as the man who died in an Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) shooting earlier this month north of Kenora, and is calling for more and quicker help for people with mental health challenges.
Playoff action in the Ontario Hockey League gets underway Thursday night for Guelph and Friday in Kitchener.
UPEI wants its faculty to sign on to an updated version of its sexual assault and discrimination policy, but the union that represents the school's academic staff says it wants the policies to be part of its collective agreement.
In Texas this week for a global energy conference, the federal natural resources minister is proclaiming "Canada is back" and ready to bolster its energy sector and grow exports.
Members of Parliament last year went on the fewest sponsored international trips in the last 15 years, excluding the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ontario is running out of time to beef up rules that would crack down on negligent and misbehaving municipal politicians ahead of the next civic election, some experts and opposition critics warn.
Six London teens are each facing multiple charges following a break-and-enter spree at homes in the city's southwest end early Sunday, police said.
The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure is putting the finishing touches on completing the Team Gushue Highway, but it means drivers might have to change their routes until later this summer.
Passage of the Nova Scotia government's budget bill stalled late Tuesday night when a group of singing protesters shut down the final vote to approve the budget.
Health Minister John Dornan said Woodstock-based eVisitNB will continue to provide virtual health-care services to New Brunswickers for another 90 days after March 31.