Saturday, April 6, 2:00 pm – 4:00pm
Sunday, April 7, 1:00pm – 3:00pm
At the Spring Cottage Life Show
In the Model Cottage located outside Entrance 3
Presented by Canada Builds
Cottage living has always been a part of Sarah’s life both in and outside of sport. Growing up Sarah spent her summers at the cottage, taking advantage of the outdoor space and literally running around. As Sarah grew up, the cottage became not only an area with an abundance of activities, but also a place where she could relax and rejuvenate. “Cottage weekends are an escape from my hectic training and competition schedule,” said the Olympic 400m hurdler who represented Canada in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. “The week before Olympic trials my coach and I had agreed I would take 48hrs off to relax and enjoy the cottage before one of the biggest races of my life. Clearly it worked!”
In 2011, the year before the Olympics, Sarah was unfortunately diagnosed with a stress fracture in her left femur which tragically sidelined her for 9 months. With the Olympic year fast approaching, Sarah was eager to get back on the track following a grueling recovery and rehabilitation program to begin her preparations for a successful season. Considering London was only 8 months away, few people believed Sarah would be able to overcome such a devastating injury and ultimately compete in the Olympic Games. However, Sarah surrounded herself with an integrated team of physicians, coaches, family, and friends, which enabled her to train, perform and continue to remain realistic about a seemingly impossible dream. Fortunately, through hard work, perseverance and an unwavering belief in herself, Sarah ran Olympic standard, won the Canadian championships, and was named to the 2012 Canadian Olympic team.
In London, Sarah made it through the heats to the Olympic semi-final round. She had placed herself in the top 24 in the world and was one of the youngest competitors in the field.
Over the next 4 years Sarah plans to train for the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Brazil. Stepping stones along the way will include the 2013 World Championships in Russia this summer and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland. Sarah hopes to be on the podium when Toronto hosts the 2015 Pan American Games.
Sarah is active in promoting youth participation in sport as well as plans to continue her motivational speaking career in hopes of encouraging others to overcome obstacles, reach their dreams and never give up.
