20
view . summer 2012
•
Tricia Wysynski
(Kinesiology) – 1983 Special Olympics
(Track and Field) Wysynski specialized in the 100- and
200-metre races as well as the long jump. She placed
7th in long jump and 15th in the 200-metre and 16th
in the 100-metre races. Today, she is a certified level 3
National Coaching Certification Program coach and a
former Cirque du Soleil performer.
•
Brian Arthur BHK ’84
– 1976 Olympics for the Disabled
(Swimming); 1984 Blind Olympics (Goal-ball) Partially blind
since birth, Arthur would count the strokes to determine
the far end of the pool. He also competed in high jump
and pentathlon. In 1976, he won the bronze medal in the
400-metre individual medley.
•
Tom Nelson BComm ’85
– 1984, 1988 Olympics
(Baseball) Tom Nelson batted .417 in the 1984 Olympic
tournament and was called “the glue that holds the team
together.” He had two hits in three attempts, and scored
two runs as Canada beat the eventual gold medal-
winning U.S. team in their round-robin match.
•
Kelly-Ann Way ’88
– 1988, 1992 Olympics (Cycling)
•
Jeff Tiessen BA ’90
– 1984, 1988, 1992 Paralympic
(Track and Field) In 1977, when he was 11, 27,000
volts surged through Jeff Tiessen’s body. His toboggan
accidently rode high snowdrifts over a fence and touched
a copper pipe at a pumping station. Both arms were
amputated but undaunted, he recovered and went on to
compete in long jump, high jump, and the 200-, 400- and
800-metre dashes. Tiessen won the silver medal in 1984
in high jump. He won gold in 1988 in the 400 metres and
set a world record as a double amputee. In 1992, Tiessen
won the bronze medal in the 400 with a pulled hamstring.
•
Peter Fonseca BEd ’95
– 1996 Olympics (Marathon)
Peter Fonseca was the top finisher for the Canadian
team, placing 21st overall in a 42.195-kilometre (26.219 mi)
race with a time of 2 hours, 17 minutes and 28 seconds. He
was later elected a member of the Legislative Assembly
of Ontario, representing the riding of Mississauga East—
Cooksville for the Ontario Liberal Party from 2003-2011.
Fonseca was named as Minister of Tourism and Recreation
in 2007 and Minister of Labour in 2008.
•
Tessa Virtue
(psychology) – 2010 Olympics (Pairs Ice
Dancing Gold Medal) Also see story on page 13.
•
David Greig
(BHK ’01, MHK ’06) – 2007 Parapanamerican
Games. Greig was an assistant coach at the 2007
Parapanamerican Games. His athletes have won world
championship and Paralympic Games medals.
Courtesy: The University of Windsor Alumni Association Sports Hall
of Fame
) and
The Olympians Among Us
,
by Carl Morgan and Tony Techko, 1995.
LANCER STAR TO COMPETE IN LONDON 2012 OLYMPICS
Windsor Lancers Track and Field star Melissa Bishop
will be running down a dream at the 2012 Summer
Olympic Games in July.
Athletics Canada named Bishop as one of 40 track and
field athletes for the team going to London, England.
The former University of Windsor Female Athlete of
the Year locked up her spot on the Canadian Olympic Team
with a second place finish in the Women’s 800 metres at the
Olympic Trials in Calgary in June.
“This is huge,” said Bishop.“This is the Olympics and it’s
everyone’s dream. I couldn’t be more excited.”
Bishop had already made the Olympic “A” standard
after a spectacular performance at the prestigious
Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, earlier in the
summer and needed only a top-three finish at the Canadian
Olympic Trials.
In a slow and very cautious race, Bishop ran a smart
race and secured her Olympic spot with a second-place
finish in 2:07.56.
“In a race like that, because it’s so tactical, you just do
what you need to do to get into the top three,” said Bishop,
whose personal best time is 1:59.82. “I stayed on the
outside and didn’t allow myself to get boxed in. Thankfully
it all went well.”
Bishop is coached by legendary Lancer Head Coach
Dennis Fairall.
“It was a huge relief, for one, and it was very
emotional,” said Bishop. “I had all my family there. It’s been
a really fun year with a lot of personal bests. I can’t wait for
London and the chance to represent my country.”
Courtesy:
The Windsor Star
and golancers.ca
