Melissa Bishop fights back tears after dedicating 800m win to her long-time coach

Canada’s Melissa Bishop dedicated her 800m race at the national championships in Edmonton to her long-time coach Dennis Fairall. The former University of Windsor head coach was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, an uncommon brain disorder, more than two years ago and stepped down from his university position in 2015.

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Running with Dennis Fairall

After winning the 800m national title and securing her place to Rio, the 27-year-old fought back tears when describing what the victory means for the duo. Fairall has been with Bishop ever since she attended the Windsor, Ont.-based school and she has been based in the southern Ontario city ever since.

“Dennis has been my entire journey,” says Bishop. “I wouldn’t be here without him so this is really dedicated to Dennis. We’ve been through ups and downs and he’s been there every step of the way. He’s a really special individual.”

Fairall, despite not coaching at the university level anymore, continues to coach Bishop and a select group of athletes. The Rio Olympics will be the second time that Bishop represents Canada at the global Games after she competed in the two-lap event in London in 2012.

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The Eganville, Ont. native is Canada’s fastest ever 800m runner. She won world championship silver in 2015 and set a Canadian record in the women’s 800m in the semifinals at worlds before her historic run in the finals.

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Bishop is expected to race at the National Track League in Edmonton on Friday. The national championships were held in the same city from July 7-10 where Canada’s Olympic team was decided.