Canadian 800m runner named to Order of Canada

orderofcanada

Canadian 400m and 800m star Charmaine Crooks was inducted into the Order of Canada last Friday, Dec. 13.

Crooks enjoyed a lengthy and successful career as an athlete and went on the found a sports marketing firm in the Vancouver area. She’s also served with the IOC and Canadian Olympic Committee. She was listed as someone to be awarded with the order in January.

The Jamaican-Canadian attended the University of Texas at El Paso where she earned All-American honours on five occasions. She won a silver medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics with the Canadian 4x400m relay team and in 1990 became the first Canadian woman to run under two minutes in the 800m. In 1996 she was Canada’s flag bearer at the Opening Ceremonies for the Atlanta Games. She was a Canadian champion on 11 occasions. She still holds the second fastest 800m time in Canadian history and the third fastest 400m time. She ran her 400m time in the ’84 Olympic final, the same race where Marita Payne (now Marita Wiggins, mother of Canadian basketball player Andrew Wiggins) set the Canadian record which still stands today.

Crooks, now 51, has been a icon beyond her athletic career. She was on the board of directors for both the Vancouver Olympic 2012 bid and the Toronto Pan Am 2015 bid. She also helped with the failed 2008 Olympic games bid for Toronto which was awarded to Beijing.

In 2004 she was named one of Canada’s top 50 Women of Power for her influence in the sports community. She’s also appeared in many other aspects related to sports in Canada.

She was named to the order alongside two other sports names: Hiroshi Nakamura of LaSalle, Que., a judo coach, and Marnie McBean who won three Olympic gold medals in rowing.

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