I am asking for your help & support on my journey to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio! Join Team Maddie! 

"It takes a village to raise an Olympian"

I am a Heptathlete and the current 2015 Canadian National Champion chasing my dream of representing Canada at the 2016 Olympic Games. 

I was born and raised in Waterloo, Ontario as the oldest of seven children. When I was little, all seven of us always had a ton of energy, so my parents signed us up for every sport possible as a way to keep us busy. I first discovered my love for running and track and field in grade seven. I started out competing in every single event that I possibly could, and loved them all. My first big competition was the Canadian Legion Track Championships where I won the Canadian High Jump title in Grade 8. This achievement drove me to pursue track and field more competitvely. I was able to represent Canada during high school twice; the World Youth Championships and Pan American Junior Championships in high jump and 400m hurdles. Over time, I had a hard time choosing which event I liked best, which is probably why I ended up competing in the heptathlon.

My performances in high school earned me an athletic scholarship to the University of Notre Dame. While at Notre Dame I was able to pursue both my passions for track and field and become an All-American, as well as finance. I graduated in 2012 with a Bachelors of Business Administration degree majoring in finance from the Mendoza College of Business.

After graduation from Notre Dame I moved home to Toronto to train with the University of Toronto track club high performance group working towards my 2016 Olympic dreams. While I was training full time I was still seeking a way to utilize my finance degree and support myself. I reached out to Deloitte and worked out a modified work agreement with the partners in the Toronto and Chicago offices, which enabled me to pursue a career and train at the same time.

The highlight of my athletic career to date was becoming the 2015 Canadian National Champion in the Heptathlon, as well as the Pan American IAAF Combined Events Cup Bronze medalist. These accomplishments were a driving force in my decision to take a leave of absence from work this year in order to fully focus on training and my dream of competing in the Olympic Games. I have moved to Phoenix, Arizona to train at Altis World (formerly known as World Athletics Center), in order to train in a professional environment with some of the best coaches and athletes in the world.

As the outdoor season is fast approaching, the progress that I have seen both at practice and in competition has reinforced my decision to uproot and move halfway across the continent in order to pursue my dreams. The countdown is on to Rio!

What is the Heptathlon?

The heptathlon is an athletic competition which consists of female athletes competing in seven different track and field events over the course of two days. The name derives from the Greek words "hepta", meaning seven, and "athlon", meaning contest. The heptathlon is the female equivalent of the male decathlon (ten events).

Day 1:

• 100m Hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, 200m

Day 2:

• Long Jump, Javelin, 800m

Accomplishments 

2015

• Gold Medalist- Heptathlon: Canadian National Championships (Ottawa, ON) 

• Bronze Medalist- Heptathlon: IAAF Capital Cup, World Combined Events Challenge Series (Ottawa, ON)

• Ontario Heptathlete of the Year: Athletics Ontario Year End Awards 

2014

• Unable to compete due to injury

2013

• Bronze Medalist- Heptathlon: Canadian National Championsips (Moncton, NB)

• Silver Medalist- Heptathlon: Francophonie Games (Nice, France)​​

• Ontario Heptathlete of the Year: Athletics Ontario Year End Awards

2012

• Bronze Medalist, First-Team All-American- Pentathlon: NCAA Division 1 Indoor Championships (Boise, Idaho)

• Awarded Notre Dame Leader of Distinction Award

• Awarded Notre Dame Knute Rockne Scholar Athlete of the Year for Top Student on Track Team

OTHER NOTABLES

• University of Notre Dame School Record Holder- Pentathlon

• 3x NCAA Division 1 Second-Team All-American

• 6x Big East Conference medalist- Heptathlon/ Pentathlon

• 2008-2012 Earned Academic All Big-East Honours

• 2007 Pan American Junior Championships (Sao Paolo, Brazil)

• 2005 World Youth Championships (Marrakesh, Morrocco)

• 16x OFSAA (Ontario HS) Track and Field Medalist

Join Team Maddie

The cost of training and competing at the highest level is very high. One of the toughest parts is finding funding for living expenses, coaching / training, medical costs necessary to remain injury-free, equipment, and travel to National and International events essential to qualify for the Olympics. Taking a leave of absence from work in order to train full time this season has left a gap in my funding, and your support will help me to bridge this gap.

I would like you to join me on my journey through the 2016 track season on the road to Rio!

What will your support contribute to?

• Medical/ Physio/ Chiropractic Therapy
• Travel Expenses
  • Flights to meets
  • Hotels
  • Rental Cars + fuel
  • Baggage Fees
• Equipment
  • Shoes (7 pairs of specialty spikes) + running shoes
  • Implements (Shot put, Javelin)
  • Spike Pins
  • Training clothes/ track suits
• Competition Fees
• Nutritional Supplements

I am asking for any help you can offer to support my journey through the 2016 season as I strive to represent Canada at the Olympics!

No amount is too little, every bit helps and every contributor is part of the larger goal, it’s a team effort! I sincerely appreciate any and all support. Please spread the word and share my story. 

**If you choose not to donate online, please do not hesitate to contact me!