Dr. Theresa Tam: is she a runner?

Dr. Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief public health officer, has been helping to guide the country throughout the pandemic. In a recent interview on CBC News, Dr. Tam used a running metaphor to explain where Canada finds itself right now and how much longer the country will have to deal with COVID-19. “People have contributed so much already,” she said. “It’s a bit like running the marathon and hitting that wall, and you go, ‘there’s still another 10 kilometres.'” That quote got us thinking, and we had to ask the question: is Dr. Tam a runner?

My kind of all-inclusive – everyone is invited to move together! Love #MoveCamp 's monumental goals to make ?? the fittest nation on earth, with fitness that’s accessible for all! For more ideas to get moving, visit: https://t.co/Eb911NASMu pic.twitter.com/BuwIHf8vqP

— Dr. Theresa Tam (@CPHO_Canada) August 9, 2019

We have a couple of reasons to believe that Dr. Tam is a runner. First off, there’s the marathon metaphor. Yes, non-runners can use running language and comparisons, and we’ve all heard someone say, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint,” to describe something with a long, drawn-out process. Dr. Tam’s reference to having 10K to go is more specific than most non-runners would normally be, though, so maybe there’s something there.

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This #CanadaDay ?? I’m celebrating the great achievements of #publichealth over the last #100YearsOfHealth: #sanitation, #vaccines. Wishing everyone a safe and healthy holiday! #staysafe #dontdrinkanddrive #dontdrivehigh pic.twitter.com/2UC0inAS7Q

— Dr. Theresa Tam (@CPHO_Canada) July 1, 2019

The biggest piece of evidence that Dr. Tam is a runner, though, is on Sportstats. From 2005 until 2015, Theresa Tam from Ottawa completed over a dozen runs, ranging from 5Ks up to the marathons (she ran the Ottawa Marathon in 2013). We know finding her name on Sportstats isn’t a guarantee that this is the right Theresa Tam, but it certainly strengthens our belief that Canada’s chief public health officer is a runner.