While the Canada Games were a stepping stone to greater athletic heights for double Olympic gold medalist Catriona Le May Doan, the country's speed skating sweetheart never considered simply leaving the nation's largest multi-sport and cultural event in her wake.
"I've never left loving the Canada Games,'' Le May Doan told The Guardian moments before the Games began.
"I've never left the fact that I understand the power of them. I don't think all Canadians know the power of them or even know about them.''
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Here are some highlights of Catriona Le May Doan's remarkable athletic career: ?Speed Skating Canada female athlete of the year for seven consecutive years (1996-2002). ?Skated her way to gold in the 500 metre and to bronze in the 1,000 metre at the 1998 Olympic Games in Nagano. ?Gold medal in 500 metre speed skating event at 2002 Olympic Games, becoming the first and only Canadian individual to defend a gold medal at any Olympic Games. ?Received 2002 Lou Marsh Award as Canada's Athlete of the Year and is a three-time recipient of the Canadian Female Athlete of the Year award. ?Named to the Order of Canada in 2005. |
Le May Doan is doing her part to change that. She has served on the Canada Games sport committee and now sits as a board member. She is also very much front and centre in promoting the 2009 summer edition of a national event that dates back to 1967.
Le May Doan says the Canada Games were a huge part of her life as an athlete for a full decade. She was only 12 when she competed in her first Winter Games in speed skating in 1983. Four years later, she won a silver medal and a bronze in individual speed skating events.
She competed one final time in the Canada Games, that coming in 1993 in athletics.
Those three sets of Canada Games helped her mold into an athletic force that went on to become the first and only Canadian to defend a gold medal at any Olympic Games. She held the world record in the 500 metre speed skating event for 10 years and still currently holds the Olympic record.
During her career, she broke 13 world records.
She is quick to credit the Canada Games with propelling her out of the gate.
"I know what they did for me and that was develop me as an athlete,'' she said.
"You take such pride in wearing your province's colors (in her case the green and white of her native Saskatchewan) and actually (Friday) night I even dug out my jacket from 1987 and it's retro. It's back in.''
Le May Doan, who lives in Calgary with her husband Bart and their two children, says she gets emotional over the sight of all those athletes, who are clearly filled with excitement and anticipation, gathering for the opening ceremonies.
"That's what it's about,'' she said.
"It's about them and their dreams and for some it (the Canada Games) will be the pinnacle and for some it will be a stepping stone.''
Le May Doan says Canada Games athletes and Olympic competitors both seek the same insight from her. She reminds them all that their sport doesn't change just because the venue and competition is suddenly greater.
"It doesn't matter what scale it is on,'' she saidi.
"For me, it's the same 500 metres. It's the same starting line. You go 100 metres, you turn left. We make it more complicated than it is but it is because we want that moment to shine.''
