KIN Alumni, Students, and Faculty Represented at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics!
With the Tokyo Olympics slated to take place on July 23 – August 8 in Japan, the School of Kinesiology is excited to have significant on-site representation in the Summer Games. KIN Alumni, students, and faculty members will both compete and work there. We are pleased to highlight a few of the shining KIN alumni athletes who have met or surpassed the Olympic standards.
KIN Alumni on the Road to Competing at the Olympics:
Natalia Hawthorn, BKin ’18, hits Olympic standard for 1500m
KIN alumna, Natalia Hawthorn hit the Olympic Standard for the women’s 1,500 metres at the Stumptown Twilight Meet in Portland, breaking the tape in a time of 4:04.20. Hawthorn’s run makes her the second Canadian woman to run Olympic standard in the 1,500 metres.
Evan Dunfee, BKin ’14, sets Canadian record in 10,000-metre Race Walk
KIN alumnus, Evan Dunfee set a Canadian record at the Harry Jerome Track Classic on Saturday, June 12th in Burnaby, B.C., eclipsing a mark he set two years ago. Dunfee completed the 10,000-metre race walk in a personal-best 38 minutes 39.72 seconds. Dunfee made history at the 2019 World Athletics Championships when he won bronze to become Canada’s first ever medallist in the 50km race walk at the global biennial event.
Nikola Girke, BHK ’99, 5-time Canadian Olympic athlete in RS:X Windsurfing
As Canada’s top female windsurfer, Nikola Girke recorded the country’s best-ever Olympic result in the event with her 10th place finish at the 2012 Olympics. In January 2020, she surfaced from retirement to race RS:X in a major international competition and placed 4th at the World Cup in Miami. That result secured a 2020 Olympic spot for Nikola Tokyo. She is traveling to Tokyo on July 12th to compete in the RS:X against women Olympians from 26 other countries.
Liz Gleadle, BKin 2014, Team Canada, Javelin thrower.
Liz Gleadle surprised many in her Olympic debut at London 2012 when she became the first Canadian woman to qualify for an Olympic javelin final since 1968. She was also Canada’s first female Olympian in javelin since 1988. But she had her true breakout season in 2014, after having missed all of 2013 with a back injury.
The UBC School of Kinesiology Community Serving at the 2021 Olympics!
Maria Gallo, Assistant Coach National Women’s Rugby 7s
KIN Associate Professor Maria Gallo was recently appointed the Assistant Coach for the National Women’s Rugby 7s team to help train the squad for the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The team submitted a request to Rugby Canada that Maria come on board to coach them. She is highly respected as one of the few female rugby coaches in Canada and many of them had worked with her on the National Women’s 15s.
KIN Faculty: Sports Science & Sport Medicine Leads
KIN will have significant on-site representation with Athletics Canada. Dr. Trent Stellingwerff, Dr. Gareth Sandford & Dr. Michael Koehle will travel with the team as Lead of Sports Science & Sports Medicine, Physiologist, and Sports Medicine Physician. Cameron Gee, KIN Post-doctoral Fellow, will also travel with the para-Olympians as a Physiologist.
KIN Alumni Working at the 2020 Olympics
The following KIN Alumni will work at the 2020 Olympics: Nicole Sullivan, BHK’04, physio for Beach Volleyball; Jasmine Mander BKin’18, MPT’20, National Women’s Soccer Team Performance Analyst; 2-time Olympic swimmer Martha McCabe BKin’12, COC Mission Staff member; James Thompson, MKin’14, Med’16, is the High Performance Director of Women’s Goalball at the Paralympics. Dr. Kerry MacDonald, KIN sessional and T-Bird volleyball coach coach, serves as Volleyball Canada staff.
Liz Gleadle, BKin 2014, Team Canada, Javelin thrower.
Liz Gleadle surprised many in her Olympic debut at London 2012 when she became the first Canadian woman to qualify for an Olympic javelin final since 1968. She was also Canada’s first female Olympian in javelin since 1988. But she had her true breakout season in 2014, after having missed all of 2013 with a back injury.
UBC Olympians celebrated with virtual send-off prior to competition at Tokyo 2020 Games.
With the official start of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games little over a month away, UBC President and Vice Chancellor Santa J. Ono hosted a virtual send-off for the dozens of Thunderbirds past and present who will represent their country as athletes, coaches, and staff.