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What started as a long, frustrating day of travel back from the Canadian Olympic Trials last month turned out to be the most special day. Michelle Harrison’s Life.
The Canadian Olympic Committee informed her that she had been selected to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics Olympic Gamesmarking the pinnacle of her track and field career to date.
“I have mixed emotions, from the relief of the pressure of qualifying to the happiness that my dream has finally come true,” Harrison said.
“I took a long road trip after coming back from Montreal because of flight cancellations. So it was a roller coaster of emotions during that time.”
The 31-year-old will make his Olympic debut in Paris, completing the Saskatoon native’s journey from Evan Hardy College to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and a successful career in track and field.
Every step of the way, from her high school days playing for the Saskatoon Track Club to her time leading the Huskies to a gold medal at the U Sports national level, Jason Reindl has been by her side as a coach.
Now, Reddle, who also coaches the Huskies’ track and field team, has his first opportunity to coach at the Olympics and will travel overseas with Harrison to support her training during the Games.
“To get this opportunity to work with someone who is a first-time coach, a first-time athlete, born and raised in Saskatoon, both Evan Hardy graduates, it really means a lot,” Reindl said.
Harrison calls Reddle her coach for nearly a decade and thanks him for helping her take her running to the Olympic level.
“One of the challenges I had early in my career was finding a coach I could work with,” Harrison said. “Being able to work with Jason over the past few years has made a huge difference in my career.”
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After her college career with the Huskies, Harrison had been a candidate for Canada to compete in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but the pandemic and injuries delayed her dream.
Despite some disappointment heading into the 2024 Paris Olympics, Harrison has taken his running to new heights, winning three consecutive Canadian 100m hurdles national titles between 2021 and 2023 and earning a silver medal at the recent Canadian trials.
“The timing was so unique, and we had been talking about it for a long time,” Reindl said. “But in 2020, we were like, ‘OK, this is real. We’re going to really prioritize it.’ And the rest is history over the past four years.”
Harrison’s training differs from many other athletes on the Canadian national team because she trains year-round in her hometown of Saskatoon, rather than in a city with warmer running environments.
While competing at the Gordie Howe Sports Centre, Harrison achieved her goal of making the Olympic team, and with support from the Province of Saskatchewan, she made her way to the track in Paris.
“When I was younger, I was often pushed aside to pursue other opportunities,” Harrison said. “But I’m really only running fast here, so it’s special to be able to do this with my friends, family and support system.”
Seeing Harrison’s focus during every training session, Reindl added that it proves that Harrison has enough patience to turn his Olympic dream into reality.
“It’s a great story,” Reindl said. “There are a few chapters where it’s like: ‘Oh, this is so bad.’
“But when you read ‘Blank Chapter: The Olympics,’ you’ll smile, maybe even shed a tear.”
Harrison is one of three Saskatchewan athletes competing in the Paris track and field events, along with first-time Olympic Canadian 400-meter hurdles record holder Savannah Sutherland and pole vault Olympic veteran Anicka Newell.
Harrison will compete in the Paris Olympic preliminaries for the first time on August 7.
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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