Jerome Drayton
Ottawa – Athletics Canada’s Hall of Fame will grow by ten when the class of 2013 is officially inducted in Moncton, New-Brunswick on June 20, 2013. Five athletes, one coach, three in memoriam and one builder will be enriched at a special ceremony held in conjunction with the Canadian Championships and World Trials.
The Class of 2013
Athletes
Mark Boswell
Jerome Drayton
Diane Jones Konihowski
Chantal Petitclerc
Michael Smith
Coach
Earl Church
Builder
Ian Fowler
In Memoriam
Phil Edwards
Lloyd Percival
Eugene Reimer
Mark Boswell from Brampton, Ont., is not only of Canada’s greatest high jumpers, he is one of the most decorated athletes this country has ever seen stepping on the podium at almost every major international competition. Mark is an Olympic Games finalist, a double World Championship medalist (silver at the 1999 World Championships along with a Canadian record, bronze at the 2003 World Championships). In 1999 he won gold at the Pan American Games. Mark was the first Canadian to win gold at the IAAF World Junior Athletics Championships, a feat he accomplished in 1996. He still holds the Canadian outdoor record of 2.35-metres which he set in 1999 and equalled on two other occasions (2000 and 2002). Mark on his induction, “I am extremely thankful to receive this honour of being inducted into the Hall of Fame. I thank everyone that has supported me throughout the years along with all my sponsors and family. Believe it to achieve it is the motto I live by and I now believe in the future athletes as they will continue to achieve for us all.”
Earl Church of Welland, Ont., coached able-bodied athletics in the Niagara region of Ontario until one of his athletes, Joanne (Bouw) Berdan, introduced him to para-athletics in 1989. Under Earl’s tutelage Joanne became a three-time Paralympic Games medalist. Earl has coached at all levels over four decades and is recognized for his work in bringing credibility and experience acquired in able-bodied coaching to para-athletics. He was the first coach to represent Canada at the integrated World Championships and has coached at the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Paralympic Games. Earl still coaches for the Université de Moncton and Athlétisme Sud-Est South-East Athletics Club.
Jerome Drayton from Toronto, Ont., established the Canadian marathon record of 2 hours and 12 minutes in 1969, bettering it to 2 hours 10 minutes 9 seconds in 1975. At 44 years and running it is the longest standing uninterrupted Athletics Canada record. The annual Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon offers a prize bonus should an athlete lower the Canadian record, $1000 gets added to the prize purse for every year that Jerome’s record stands. On three occasions (1969, 1975, 1976) Jerome won the Fukuoka marathon, an unofficial World Championship at the time. In 1977 he won the prestigious Boston Marathon and in 1978 took silver at the Commonwealth Games.
The great Phil Edwards (1907-1971) will be inducted in memoriam. Phil is Canada’s most decorated Olympian in athletics winning five Olympic bronze medals. The versatile athlete from Montreal, Que., won Olympic medals in the 4×400-metres (1928), the 800-metres, 1500-metres and 4×400-metres at the 1932 Olympic Games and at the 1936 Games in the 800-metres. He was the first black man to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games.
Moncton’s Ian Fowler will be inducted in the builder category of Athletics Canada’s Hall of Fame. In his role as the city of Moncton’s General Manager of Economic Development, Tourism and Culture he was instrumental in bringing to life Moncton Stadium and the 2010 World Junior Championships to Atlantic Canada. Ian was a key player in ensuring Moncton Stadium brought with it a lasting athletics legacy, playing a pivotal role in bringing the 2013 and 2014 Canadian Championships to Moncton. Since Moncton was awarded the World Junior Championships in 2006 registration in athletics and clubs have flourished along with Atlantic Canada’s representation on national teams. Ian suddenly passed away in 2011.
World renowned in combined events, Diane Jones Konihowski of Canmore, Alta., represented Canada on national teams for an astounding 17 years (1967-1984). She held the season World leading score in the pentathlon on two occasions, in 1978 for outdoor competition and in indoor competition in 1975. A five-time Olympian, three as an athlete and twice played a role with the Canadian team as Mission Staff and Chef de Mission. Diane is the 1978 Commonwealth Games gold medalist and a two-time Pan American Games gold medalist (1975 and 1979) and Hypo-Meeting Champion in 1976 and 1977 which at the time, served as the unofficial World Championship. “I am always humbled to be recognized for my accomplishments in my sport of athletics and in the event of pentathlon,” comments Diane. “I had an amazing 17 year career as a member of the national team and received great support from my Federation. I trained and competed with some of the best athletes and coaches in the world and to be named a member of Athletics Canada’s Hall of Fame along with them is indeed an honour.”
Lloyd Percival (1913-1974) from Toronto, Ont., the first modernized track and field coach in Canada, will join the Hall of Fame in memoriam. Lloyd began his coaching career through radio in 1941 when his program, Sports College on the Air, first hit airways. The program would eventually move to the CBC radio network which literally had him coaching an entire nation and inspired over a million listeners to join local clubs. Lloyd is the founder of the North Toronto Track and Field Club, now the Toronto Track and Field Club, and is widely credited as the first Ontario based coach, some say in all of Canada, to champion female athletics. He sent more athletes to international competitions than any other coach in his era. He introduced interval training in Ontario along with weight training, cross training, massage and strict diet, all concepts which were decades ahead of their time.
Chantal Petitclerc from Montreal, Que., is the only Canadian athlete to win Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games gold medals. Throughout her illustrious career she broke 22 World records (three of which still stand today), still holds four Paralympic Games records and won 21 Paralympic Games medals. Her Paralympic Games career stretched 1992-2008 capturing 10 gold medals between 2004 and 2008 alone. Her final Paralympic Games tally stands at 14 gold, 5 silver and 2 bronze. “I am thrilled about being named as part of Athletics Canada’s Hall of Fame”, explains an excited Chantal, “Looking back at a rich athletics history in Canada, there are so many legends and even inspirations already part of this Hall of Fame. Knowing I will have my place among them is truly a great honour.”
Eugene Reimer (1940-2008) of Abbotsford, B.C., will join the Hall of Fame in memoriam. Eugene’s successful career was highlighted with 50 national medals, 22 international medals and ten Paralympic medals between 1968 and 1980. He competed in many different events winning Paralympic medals in the club throw, discus throw, javelin, pentathlon, and 4×60-metres open relay. In 1972 he won gold medals and recorded World records in the discus and pentathlon. Eugene continued to be an ambassador for people with physical disabilities right up until his passing. He was an active member in helping promote the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games’ bids.
Canadian indoor, outdoor and junior decathlon record holder Michael Smith of Calgary, Alta., will join the Hall of Fame in the athlete category. Michael was ranked in the World top ten for an amazing ten years in a row between 1989 and 1998. A three-time Olympian, he was chosen as the opening ceremonies flag bearer for the 1992 Olympic Games. Michael stepped on the World Championship podium on two occasions winning silver in 1991 and bronze in 1995. The three-time Commonwealth Games medalist was the first North American to finish first at the prestigious Hypo-Meeting, a feat he repeated in 1996. “I am very proud to be part of the class of 2013. It was a wonderful opportunity to represent my country at a world class level and a true honour to be recognized for my accomplishments.” Michael adds; “Athletics was a wonderful training ground for life and I have taken many of the lessons I learned while training and competing and utilized them in life after sport. It is also very exciting for me to watch the new generation of young and talented Canadian athletes make their mark on the global scene in the sport that I love.” Today Michael works as an investment advisor and a part time television analyst for both CBC and CTV covering national and international athletics competitions.
Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Coinciding with the Canadian Track and Field Championships and World Trials in Moncton, New Brunswick June 20-23, the class of 2013 will officially be enriched to Athletics Canada’s Hall of Fame on Thursday June 20 at the Delta Beauséjour. Reception will begin at 6:00pm followed by the induction banquet and dinner at 7:00pm.
