The ‘Getting to Know…’ segment is back for 2015.
With Toronto set to host the 2015 Pan-American Games, I talk with Canadian Inter-university Sport Athlete, University of Toronto Varsity Blue, track and field athlete, and Pan-American/Olympic hopeful Gregory MacNeill about Toronto hosting the event, and his personal ties and aspirations in the sport.
Eh Sport 360: When and how we’re you first introduced to track and field? When did you know that track was your thing you wanted to pursue?
Gregory: As a kid I always did track and field in elementary school, and I can remember watching the 2001 track and field world championships and the 2004 Olympics on tv with my parents. However it wasn’t until high school that I really did track more than two days a year. After breaking two OFSAA records (100h and 300h) it was then that I knew track was something I’d like to pursue and take seriously.
Eh Sport 360: So you’d say that you’re pretty lucky to be exposed to the sport at a young age then? How would you say the overall exposure of kids to track and field in Canada is, having grown up through the system?
Gregory: I was lucky in high school to be involved with a group of friends that were really into the track & field, and also a few teachers that saw potential in me and helped me get into the sport competitively. I was also extremely fortunate to have been instilled values and habits by my parents at a very young age that have proved to help my track & field career over the years.
Most of the time track & field still falls behind hockey, basketball, and soccer, however I would say certain pockets in Canada are very good for track & field exposure at a young age. I was lucky that in London (where I grew up) there is a very strong local development system in place for track & field that has seen a lot of local kids develop into national/ international calibre track & field athletes.
Eh Sport 360: Why do you think there’s that difference in various areas? Like you said, London has a strong development system. Why might that differ from other areas, especially within the GTA?
Gregory: In smaller market cities such as London, high school and youth track & field are able to get more media attention along with being publicized more because there isn’t as much going on within the smaller cities as there would be compared to the area and size of the GTA. This leads to the possibility of a young athlete seeing a local track athlete on TV or in the newspaper and may lead to the young child to consider track & field over say basketball or hockey. Also in the GTA there is many more other sport options for young athletes to choose to participate in. For example, in London there is 1 AAA hockey team to make, while in the GTA there are 10-12 AAA hockey teams to make. However, where the GTA has the upper hand is they have a larger population pool to choose from…it’s just getting those top athletes into track & field that is the problem.
Eh Sport 360: How has Athletics Canada addressed getting these top athletes into T&F? Have they addressed it at all?
Gregory: Athletics Canada has setup up some local Grassroots programs to get young athletes some local exposure to track.
Eh Sport 360: Going from local to specifically based on you, what has been your biggest achievement or highlight within T&F to date, including your time at the IAAFs, Wisconsin, and U of T?
Gregory: I have been very fortunate during my track career to date that I have been able to accomplish many achievements that I am proud of. In 2009 at the U18 IAAF World Youth Championships I was able to win a bronze medal in the 110H. The next season in 2010, I also set the Canadian high school interscholastic record (110H) and also winning two OFSAA gold medals (110H,200m). However, I think what I am most proud of to date is winning 3 medals this past summer at the U23 North America Central America Caribbean Championships (NACAC). I placed 3rd in the 110H and also won a silver medal in the 4×400 and bronze medal in the 4×100 relays with my teammates. The reason I feel this is my biggest achievement is because I had been devastated from injury the previous 2 seasons prior to 2014. I tore my hamstring and suffered a severe hip injury throughout 2012 and 2013.
Gregory MacNeill (second from the left) and teammates representing Canada at the 2014 NACAC under-23 championship in Kamloops, B.C..
Eh Sport 360: Do you feel your switch from Wisconsin to the University of Toronto was a big step in helping you achieve these goals (aside from your time off because of injuries)? How was that switch by the way? I don’t think many people know that you actually went to the University of Wisconsin for one year.
Gregory: Yes, I did attend Wisconsin during the 2010-2011 season. I 100% feel the switch to the University of Toronto was for the better in regards to me pursuing my dreams of running for Canada on the international stage, and my dream of one day representing Canada at the Olympic games. When most people heard I was transferring back to Canada to train and attend the University of Wisconsin I’m sure they were confused and question my decision, however it turned out to be the best decision I’ve ever made for my track & field career. Also people don’t know that when I was looking at school to attend, UofT was higher on my list then some NCAA schools such as, Michigan St, Oregon, and Auburn…It’s that special of a place here. By being at UofT and training in Canada is has allowed me to shift my main focus of the track season on making National teams in the summer, and not having to peak for NCAA’s, or being burnt out by the time Canadian Nationals come along in the summer. Everything we do during the track season (indoors & outdoors) is focused on being ready for Nationals and trying to make the appropriate national team for that season.
Eh Sport 360: How has being a Varsity Blue changed your perspective on participating in track and field? From your interactions with coaches and fellow athletes to meets and competitions, has your appreciation for the sport changed at all?
Gregory: I have learned a lot about myself as an athlete and about the sport of track & field during my time as a Varsity Blue. Three really big influences in my life on and off the track have come from the Varsity Blue program. My Head Coach, Carl Georgevski has been the most supportive person in my track career, and has believed in me through my low and high parts of my career. Former Blue’s Head Coach Andy Higgins, has given me some of the greatest advice anyone in life has ever given me. it is impossible not to feel motivated after talking to him for 5 minutes. And finally, my event coach Bob Westman has worked wonders for me on the track since I’ve started training under his guidance in the Fall of 2013. I am excited to see what exciting things we can accomplish together on the track over the next 18 months!
Another great thing about being part of the Varsity Blue’s program are my teammates. There are some amazing people on my team who will go on to accomplish great things in their lives both on and off the track. I can also honestly say that I have the best training group in the country. We all work extremely hard, but we also have a ton of fun as well. There isn’t a single practice that goes by where we aren’t laughing and smiling. My training group makes track fun, in a sport where it can be quite lonely at times. Overall, during my time as a Varsity Blue I have learned to truly enjoy and appreciate what I am doing on the track, and not to get too low or too high about what is happening on the track but to just go out their have fun and compete. I will leave this place a better person then when I arrived.
Eh Sport 360: So clearly your coaches seem to have had a huge impact on your overall success and appreciation for the sport. Have your coaches been emphasizing the importance of making the Pan-American Games this summer in Toronto? Is it on your radar right now?
Gregory :The Pan Am Games is 100% on my radar, its my main goal this season. However, to be honest we don’t talk about it too much. The Pan Am Games only comes up when my coach and I are discussing my yearly plan, and planning specific dates for meets/training camps etc. I really don’t like thinking about the end goal too often, I find that the little things along the way can get lost if you focus too much on the end goal and not how to reach that goal. What I like to emphasize is trying to improve everyday, trying to be better today then I was yesterday and if you do that ultimately your end goals (Pan Am Games) will be met. Have to learn to enjoy the process.
Eh Sport 360: Clearly you like to emphasize and highlight the whole process of your training programs in order to reach your goals. However, with the Pan-Ams in Toronto, Ontario, your home province this year, how much does this season mean to you in particular?
Gregory: Having the Pan Am games in Toronto is something very unique and something that should be celebrated by everyone in the city. Any time you get to put on that Canadian singlet is something very special, but to be able to do it at home, and in front of your home crowd would be something extra special. In 2010 I was apart of the Canadian World Jr (U20) team that ran in front of the home crown in Moncton, NB, and that was very cool. Having the hometown support was something very memorable. I can only imagine how great it would be to race in such a big event in the town that I now call home, Toronto.
Eh Sport 360: Your primary races are the 60 m and 110 m hurdles. How difficult is qualification for such events on an international stage second only to the Olympic Games?
Gregory: Yes, indoors I run the 60mH and outdoors it is the 110mH. How the qualification works for the Pan Am games is they automatically select the winner of each event at the Canadian Sr Championships. They then select the 2nd place athlete in each event if they have hit the appropriate standard. For the 110H the standard is 14.00, my personal best is 13.71. Qualification is always a challenge anytime you are trying to make a Senior International major event.
Eh Sport 360: I know you don’t want to look too far ahead, but when will you find out if you’ve made it or not?
Gregory: Not until the Canadian Championships which are July 2-5. They serve as the qualification trials for the Pan Am team.
Eh Sport 360: Lastly, it’s clear that many Canadian athletes, and yourself of course, all take great pride in representing not just yourselves but your country at major international events (i.e. IAAFs). Looking more at the larger picture, how impactful is hosting the Pan-Ams on a city like Toronto, and Canada as well?
Gregory: I believe when a city and a country are able to host a major event or games it has a tremendous positive impact on the city/country. You look at all these amazing brand new facilities that are being built for the Pan Am games, such as the new track at York University and the new swimming pool facility at University Toronto Scarborough and they all are going to have a lasting legacy on the city and amateur sport within the city for many years to come. Its the lasting legacy through facilities that I think the games will have the most impact on the city of Toronto. The Pan Am games also will shine a light on some lesser known sports who usually dont get all the attention of the major professional sports, but have athletes who work just as hard and are just as talented as NHLer’s and professional basketball players per say. Overall, I am excited to see the positive impact the Pan Am games will have over grassroots and high performance sports in Toronto and also in Canada for years to come.
The sport of Track & Field is gaining traction in Canada. Despite the usual, traditional sports (i.e. hockey and soccer) dominating majority of kid’s physical activity participation, the interest in track is starting to grain traction. Canada was never a strong competitor in Track and Field at major international events, falling in comparison to its neighbour down south which has devoted lumps of money and training centres to the development of T&F athletes. However, it’s clear from our chat with Greg that Athletics Canada has started to really put the pedal down when it comes to development of QUALITY athletes. Greg was lucky enough to come from an area which really promotes kid’s participation in track and field, giving him the resources to get where he is today. However, it’s a dedication to create athletes like Greg which Athletics Canada needs to maintain in order for Canada to make a name for itself at major T&F events. The hope is that an event like the Pan-American Games will spark and promote a desire for Athletics Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee to develop world-class athletes that can compete and win against the best in the world!
Eh Sport 360 wants to thank Greg for his time to do the interview with us! Good luck with qualifications for the Pan-Ams, and the rest of your track career Greg! The Eh Sport 360 fan-base is behind you every step (and hurdle)!
Eh Sport 360 