Athletes a term used to describe an individual who excels in sports or any type of physical activity. Throughout the years, Canadian athletes have paved the way for our future generation, during the twentieth century Canada had several Olympic and World Championship hero’s, all these athletes have left their marks in Canadians hearts. George Orton was a Canadian-middle distance runner who captured Canada’s heart at the 1900 Paris Summer Olympic Games winning a gold medal (www.thecanadianencylopedia.ca). Barbara Ann Scott also known as Canada’s sweetheart was an Olympic and World Champion figure skater in the late 1940’s (www.thestar.com). Bobby Orr was an outstanding hockey player for the Boston Bruins and Team Canada in the late 1900’s (Queensway, …show more content…
Orton was an all-star middle distance runner, soccer and hockey player. He is the first Canadian athlete male or female to win an Olympic gold medal. Orton won gold at the 1900 Paris Summer Olympic Games in the 2500 m steeplechase and a bronze in the 400 m men’s hurdle (www.thecanadianencylopedia.ca). For an athlete competing in an Olympic event; success is defined by an Olympic medal. Orton’s Olympic medal has solidified him as Canada’s most successful runner. Along with winning Olympic medals, he won championships in the United States and the United Kingdom in the one-mile and two-mile steeplechase (www.sports-reference.com). Orton’s held a national record for the one-mile steeplechase for 30 years, he completed this event in a record-breaking time of 4:21:08, as a middle-distance runner Orton won 121 races (www.sports-reference.com). Having several victories under his belt …show more content…
He was a small town boy from Parry Sound, Ontario who was Canada’s best hockey player in the twentieth century (www.thecanadianencylopedia.ca). Orr has brought the sport of hockey to many Canadians doorsteps Orr was the youngest player to play in the Ontario Hockey Association while playing in his inaugural – first - season Orr set several records and has won several awards. Orr discovered himself playing for the Oshawa Generals at the age of fourteen in a league meant for eighteen to twenty-year-olds (Queensway,Gary p.229). Being the youngest athlete meant that Orr would need to work, extremely hard to catch up his competitors. Orr’s entry to the National Hockey League was smooth due to the fact that he played professional hockey at a young age. During, Orr’s rookie season he scored forty-one points to won the Calder Cup (www.nhl.com). Winning the Calder cup at eighteen (youngest in the NHL), meant that Orr was the most successful hockey player in his rookie season. Orr led the Boston Bruins to two Stanley Cups and scored the golden goals in both finals (www.thecanadianencylopedia.ca). In a game that millions of hockey fans watch, Orr scored crunch goals, which led him to become known ad Canada’s best hockey player. Throughout, Orr’s NHL career he won seven James Norris Trophy, two Art Ross Trophy, three Hart Memorial Trophy, two Conn Smythe Trophy, and a Ted Lindsey (formally known as Lester B. Person) Award
Canada’s most famous female all-around athlete in the 1920s was Fanny “Bobbie” Rosenfeld. Baseball, basketball, fastball, golf, hockey,lacrosse, softball, speed skating, tennis, and track and field were some of the sports that Bobbie played and she mastered all of them (“Bobbie Rosenfeld: One of the Greatest All-Around Athletes”). The first event that put Rosenfeld in the spotlight was the 100-metre sprint that she ran, for fun, in a small track and field meet in 1923. During the meet she came first in the race, beating Rosa Grosse, the leading Canadian champion. She beat her again at another meet and made the world record for that event. In the same year she was Toronto’s tennis champion (Rosenberg). Bobbie Rosenfeld continued her career by participating in a provincial track and field competition in 1925. She placed first in discus, shot put, 220-metre dash, low hurdles and long jump. In the 100-metre dash and javelin she came second (Library and Archives Canada). By that time she was the Canadian record holder for the 440-metre relay, standing board jump, discus, javelin and shot put. Rosenfeld’s greatest achievements were in, the first Olympics that allowed women to participate in track and field events, Amsterdam in 1928. She was a member of the Matchless Six, the Canadian women’s track and field team. This team did an outstanding job in the 400-metre relay; as a result they placed first and broke the previous record, becoming national heroes. In addition to the relay Bobbie won the silver medal in the 100-metre dash. The most memorable was the 800-metre race, one that Bobbie had not trained for. During the race she could have finished in third place, however she let her teammate finish before her and as a re...
Maurice Richard was the hero of the French Canadian people and his dedication to his game was no different from the dedication to his family and his work and his love for the French Canadian people. He went on to win many awards in hockey and in his personal life that honored him as the role model for all French Canadian.
Nowadays in sports especially in hockey we see a lot of athletes come from across seas to play on Canadian and american hockey teams. Some of these players are premier athletes and
He was a natural leader on the Oiler’s from the start. He was a good leader who showed through example. He tallied just as many goals and points as he did during his dominate younger seasons. During Gretzky’s first season for the Oilers, he tallied 46 goals and 110 points. It was shortly after his MVP, 110 point season, that the Edmonton Oilers joined the National Hockey League, and on October 10, 1979, Wayne’s legendary career in the National Hockey League began. Gretzky was a very hard worker on the ice even though his skill was superior to most players. His hard work and leadership earned him many trophies and records starting with his rookie season. He managed to score 51 goals in one season which put him in the records as the youngest player, 19 years old, to score 50 goals in one single season. He also started his streak of winning eight straight Hart Trophies after the 1979-1980 season. Some players may have been satisfied with winning awards and trophies, but Wayne became even more hungry for success. His second season in the league, he started his seven year streak for winning the Art Ross Trophy. The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the top goal scorer in the National Hockey League. Not only did he win the Art Ross trophy after his second season, but his stats also secured him a spot in the record books AGAIN! He set a record for most assists in a single season at 109 assists, and a record for most
In Canadian history there are many famous people. In my mind one really stands out among the rest. His name is Terry Fox and he is one of the greatest athlete to run on the face of this planet. Terry discovered he had cancer and then decided to run across Canada. He was a brave man who would take what the world through at him. Running across Canada was his way to show the world that he was not going out with out a fight.
There are many important Olympic athletes. Three of the most amazing, however, are probably Jim Thorpe, Florence Griffith Joyner, and Mark Spitz. These legends were suberb athletes as well, as amazing people.
The most memorable moment in hockey history came thirty-four years ago with the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The Americans defeating the dominant Soviet team at the Olympics was not only an important triumph for USA Hockey, but for the entire nation. Contrary to popular belief, the underdog win was not only the result of a miracle; it was also the result of a hard-working team led by Coach Herb Brooks. With increasingly negative views on the position of the United States in the Cold War, the Miracle on Ice and the gold medal win lifted the spirits of the nation and brought hockey into the American spotlight.
By age seven he was already known to local sports press for his hockey talent. At age ten he scored an incredible 159 goals in 55 games playing hockey in his hometown of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia. He had a season point total of 280 points (Sidney-Crosby.info).
To become successful you need to earn and work for it. According to Malcolm Gladwell the book outliers “Canadian hockey is a meritocracy… You can’t buy your way into Major Junior A hockey. It doesn’t matter who your father or mother is, or who your grandfather was, or what business your family is in. Nor does it matter if your live in the most remote corner in Canada. If you have ability, the vast network of hockey scouts and talent spotters will find you, and if you are willing to work to develop that ability, the system will reward you. Success in hockey is based on individual merit—and both of those words are important. Players are judged on their own performance… and on the basis of their ability…” He emphasizes that to get to success you need to work for things. If amateurs accumulate to not work for things then they will never be successful
Morrow, D., Keyes, M., Simpson,W., Cosentino, F., & Lappage, R. (1989). A Concise History of Sport In Canada. Toronto, ON: Oxford University Press.
Athletes waiver an uncanny amount of courage, by pushing their bodies to the test and showcasing themselves and abilities to the judgement of the public. Sports may come natural for many people, but having utmost character and bravery does not come easy to anyone. Undoubtedly, having both is a rare occasion. Being a prime example, Jackie Robinson used his natural born gifts of a strong character and personality, along with an unprecedented athletic ability. He fought for equality by dignity and hard work. Respectfully, he was one of the best in Major League baseball for his time, and sparked a Civil RIghts Movement while doing it.
Terrence and Jordin Tootoo grew up in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, in Canada’s arctic region. They were like other Inuit children in Rankin Inlet in many respects: They were brought up to respect the customs of their people and they enjoyed the resources the land around them provided- they learned to hunt and fish for food like the others. However, the brothers were also different from their peers in one main respect- they were blessed with a love for the game of hockey, and also with extraordinary amounts of talent which would enable them to leave their native community to pursue the dream of professional hockey. While the brothers were growing up they were inseparable; however, after leaving Rankin Inlet to pursue the professional game their respective careers took strikingly different paths. Jordin’s journey took him to the top- he was drafted into the National Hockey League and signed a lucrative contract with the Nashville Predators. However, Terrence’s road to the professional ranks was filled with hardship and tragedy, ultimately resulting in his suicide in August of 2002. The contrasting paths taken by the brothers is an illustration of how professional sporting careers can have varying impacts on the lives of Native American and Canadian athletes and their communities. In the following few paragraphs I will outline the history of Native Americans and Canadians in sports. I will examine how successful Native athletes are able to help their communities, both financially and by serving as role models for younger Natives. Also, I will argue that their still exist barriers and challenges to Native athletes that do not confront other athletes. For example, Native athletes are often placed under increased scrutiny because of their positions as role models. I will conclude by commenting on how Native athletes fit into pro sports today, and speculate on what can be done to increase the amount of success enjoyed by Natives.
What is the thought pattern of an athlete? Is there anything special or unique that goes on in the mind of an athlete, that doesn’t happen in the average person’s mind? These are questions that are very difficult to answer. Every athlete thinks differently, learns differently, and is motivated in different ways. But maybe there is something dealing with the mind of an athlete that separates them from the rest of civilization.
During his high school years, he dominated the track-and-field sport, which was the only sport he was allowed to do. Ray was so good that he even tried out for the 1928 Olympics as a 400meter runner. He came in fourth place, making it into Canada’s team. He didn’t get to compete, however, as a white runner was favoured the place. That didn’t stop him from going to university, and he went to the Milwaukee’s Marquette University in Wisconsin, USA. There, he was able to keep running as part of the Central Relay Team that won the United States National Schoolboy Championships in 1928 and 1929. From there, he was able to be the National Track and Field Champion in 1929. After his university education, he had to go back to Canada to become a porter.
In 1990 women’s hockey had its first World Championship. Team Canada was made to wear pink jerseys as described in Hockey: A People’s History which showed a clear difference in the opinions of men playing versus women, as the women did not get to wear the red and white that the men wore to represent their country. However, this was still an important step. Men’s hockey was introduced to the Olympic Games in 1920. Women’s hockey was not included until 1998. It took 78 years for female hockey players to get to the same level on an international scale that men had been welcomed to. Olympic competition is arguably the best of the best; as countries send their most successful athletes to compete against the best from countries that they may not have the opportunity to play against in regular competition. While it may have taken many years, the introduction of women’s hockey into the Olympics was a clear display of the legitimization of the game. Thanks to the addition, many girls in Canada and around the world have had more exposure to women playing hockey. Especially for Canadian’s, seeing Team Canada dominate so frequently on the world stage has helped the growth of the game for women and has helped with the acceptance of female