Toronto's Pan Am Potential

In honour of Throwback Thursday, I wanted to take a few moments to relive one of my favourite events of 2013, the Toronto International Track and Field Games. For those who aren't as familiar with the world of athletics, the Toronto International Track and Field Games (TITFG) is one of 5 meets held across Canada during the late spring, which collectively comprise the National Track League (NTL) The NTL events are held from coast to coast--Halifax, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria--and serve as the only elite track and field opportunities in Canada, outside of the Canadian National Championships.

With its inception in 2011 the TITFG helped to establish the NTL, and I have watched it grow tremendously over the past 3 years. I have competed in the 1500m each year, winning the event twice (2011 and 2013) and placing second in 2012. Each year the calibre of competition has improved, the crowd has grown in numbers and enthusiasm, the prize purse has expanded, and the Games have developed a renowned level of prestige and excitement.            

From an athlete's perspective, the TITFG is arguably the most ideal and elite track and field meet in Canada: Toronto is centrally located and easily accessible, the weather for the past 3 years has been close to ideal (unlike Halifax the week before when the weather is very unpredictable or the West Coast in July when the pollen is very high), it is an exciting destination for out-of-towners, the facility is in the heart of the city and therefore has tremendous visibility, and it is always 2-3 weeks before both the Canadian and USA National Championships and is therefore used as athletes' final preparation leading into their international qualifying meets. It is highly valued on the pre-Championship racing circuit, as evidenced by the 40 Olympians who competed this year.

For those of us in the GTA, The TITFG is the only event of the year that our entire support base (family, sponsors, friends, teammates, coaches, fans, etc) are

able to attend. With Nationals being held in Moncton, and other high level meets only found either in the USA or Europe (or NTL events in other provinces), this event in Toronto is the only opportunity for our community to see us live, in action. As anyone who has been to a live sporting event can attest, nothing can repliate the real-life experience of being there in person, feeding off the excitement of the other spectators, absorbed in the thrill of feeling the competition unfolding before you. This simply can't be imitated by watching a race online or reading about it after the fact.

My amazing rabbit Vanessa McLeod

The 2013 TITFG had an enormous personal impact: it is the meet at which I ran my first "World B Standard" in the 1500m, helping to secure my position as a member of the Canadian team competing at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia. Crossing the finish line in Toronto in front of my home crowd and seeing my time flash across the scoreboard was one of the most exhilerating moments in my athletics career. It simply wouldn't have been the same--nor do I think it would have even been possible--had it not been for the hundreds of supporters whose energy propelled me around the track faster than I had ever run before, and who celebrated this victory with me. It felt like a

giant, loving hug enveloped me at the finish line. Two weeks following the TITFG I won my first Senior National Title in the 1500m at the Canadain Championships, solidifying my spot on the World's team bound for Russia. The confidence I gained from the TITFG undoubtedly aided in my win at Nationals, and this confidence continued to translate throughout the remainder of my most successful season to date.

Toronto is in an incredibly exciting position: we are poised to be at the pinnacle of international sport in 2015 as host city of the Pan Am/Para Pan Am Games!

We will welcome athletes from 41 countires competing in 65 sports, and will be given the opportunity to showcase not only Canada's athletic prowess but also all that Toronto has to offer as an athletic, economic, political and cultural powerhouse. However, in order to make the 2015 Pan Am Games all that they can be, we desperately need events like the Toronto International Track and Field Games to build a strong fan base within the GTA, and give international athletes and supporters a taste of what they can look forward to in 2 years.

The TITFG serves as that major attraction for both die-hard fans of the sport and those who are looking to check out an awesome event on a beautiful June evening in the heart of Canada's largest city. There is an untapped appetite for amateur sport in Canada, and events like the TITFG are how we uncover that potential leading into 2015 and beyond! Check out what elite athletes at the 2013 TITFG had to say about the anticipation of the 2015 Toronto Pan Am Games HERE! (*NOTE: all photos in this blog post are courtesy of the official Toronto International Track and Field Games Facebook page)