Phil Marchildon

Phil Marchildon’s story is one of triumph, both on and off the playing fields, spanning from rural Ontario to Toronto and Philadelphia. Born on October 25, 1913, in the small Georgian Bay community of Penetanguishene, Marchildon’s journey to the Major Leagues was unconventional.

He didn’t start playing organized baseball until high school and spent several years in semi-professional leagues in Ontario before catching the attention of the Philadelphia Athletics in 1940. Despite his unorthodox sidearm delivery, Marchildon proved to be a formidable pitcher, winning 10 games in 1941 and 17 in 1942 for the Athletics.

Remarkably, despite his relatively small stature at 5 feet 11 inches and 170 pounds, Marchildon was able to throw the ball with impressive velocity, reportedly reaching speeds of up to 95 mph. He honed his skills, particularly his fastball and curveball, through countless hours of practice behind the Penetanguishene barber shop.

In 1942, Marchildon’s baseball career was interrupted when he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a tail gunner and was shot down over the English Channel. He was subsequently captured by the Germans and spent time as a prisoner of war in Stalag 13, the infamous camp later depicted in the film “The Great Escape.”

Returning to Canada in 1945, Marchildon faced an uncertain future in baseball, having lost weight and strength during his time as a POW. Determined to resume his career, he spent the winter skiing to strengthen his legs. Remarkably, he made a successful comeback with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1946, winning 13 games and pitching 226 innings.

The following season, 1947, proved to be Marchildon’s best, as he won 19 games while only losing 9. Throughout his career with the Athletics, he amassed a record of 68 wins and 75 losses, with a respectable 3.93 earned run average.

Marchildon’s resilience and dedication to the sport earned him induction into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983, cementing his legacy as one of Canada’s most accomplished baseball players.

Sami Jo Small

Sami Jo Small’s journey from a determined youth hockey player in Manitoba to a celebrated Olympian and co-founder of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League is a testament to her resilience, passion, and dedication to her sport.

Despite facing challenges and setbacks throughout her career, Small embraced each opportunity with unwavering determination. From her early days playing boys’ hockey and breaking new ground in the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League to representing Canada on the world stage, Small demonstrated her commitment to excellence.

Small’s Olympic journey, which saw her participate in three Olympic Games and win multiple world championships with Team Canada, was marked by both triumphs and disappointments. Despite not always playing the role she had envisioned for herself, Small learned valuable lessons about teamwork, perseverance, and the importance of embracing one’s role for the success of the team.

Throughout her career, Small remained grounded and focused on continuous improvement. Whether facing off against top international competitors or inspiring the next generation of athletes through public speaking and coaching, Small approached each opportunity with humility and gratitude.

As a trailblazer for women’s hockey and a role model for aspiring athletes, Small continues to make a lasting impact on the sport and the lives of those she encounters. Her induction into the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame serves as a fitting recognition of her contributions to hockey and her enduring legacy as a champion on and off the ice.

Paul Suggate

Paul Suggate is not only an outstanding athlete with many accomplishments, he is also an active member of the Etobicoke community for many years, coaching children as well as Jr A and B lacrosse. Although Paul was born in England, he moved to Alderwood when he was two years old and is still an Etobicoke resident.

Suggate is known to be one of the best lacrosse players of his time, breaking all records for scoring. He is also a Minto Cup Champion (1970) and recognized as a key winning team member.

Some of Suggate’s accomplishments include: being the 2005 Ontario Major Lacrosse Coach of the Year, getting inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1993, earning MVP honours and being the leading scorer in the National Lacrosse League in 1974 1975 and being the Mann Cup Champion in 1971, to name a few.

Paul Suggate has been a very successful athlete and has significantly impacted developing lacrosse into what it is today. He is known as an exceptional athlete for being a team player and giving the utmost respect to those he played against. He is well respected in the lacrosse community as one of the best players ever to hit the floor!

Ron “Groucho” MacNeil

Ron MacNeil holds the distinction of being the all-time leading goal scorer in the history of box lacrosse in Canada. His remarkable record of 868 goals in 389 regular season contests speaks for itself, highlighting both his exceptional skill and enduring passion for the sport.

Born in 1944 in New Westminster, British Columbia, a renowned lacrosse hotspot, MacNeil moved to Etobicoke, Ontario, at a young age. Despite facing a potentially career-ending leg injury at the age of eight, MacNeil persevered through months of recovery and rehabilitation, earning him the nickname “Groucho” due to his cranky disposition during that period.

Growing up in the Alderwood neighborhood alongside his brothers Cyril, Earl, and Milton, sports became a central part of MacNeil’s life. Excelling in various sports, he found particular success in lacrosse, beginning his journey in the minor ranks of Alderwood’s lacrosse league.

Under the mentorship of coaches like Morley Kells, MacNeil honed his skills and rapidly ascended through the ranks. His talent and dedication were evident as he scored an impressive 114 goals in 24 games at the junior level, establishing himself as an all-star performer.

Upon graduation from junior lacrosse, MacNeil joined the newly formed Toronto Maple Leafs senior team in 1966, where he quickly became known for his scoring prowess. However, as his career progressed, his leg injury began to impact his performance on the field.

Innovative by nature, MacNeil turned his attention to improving lacrosse equipment to accommodate the evolving demands of the game. He opened a sporting goods store in Alderwood and introduced his own line of equipment, including specialized gloves and innovative shoulder pads.

One of MacNeil’s most significant contributions to the sport was the invention of the plastic lacrosse stick. In response to a shortage of traditional hickory sticks, MacNeil designed and produced the first plastic lacrosse stick, revolutionizing the game’s equipment standards.

His invention paved the way for the widespread adoption of plastic sticks, replacing the traditional wooden ones. MacNeil’s commitment to innovation extended beyond equipment design; he also coached minor lacrosse teams and played a key role in identifying and promoting talented young players like Paul and Gary Gait.

MacNeil’s illustrious playing career spanned 17 years, during which he played for teams like the Victoria Shamrocks and the Brantford Warriors, winning the Mann Cup in 1971 with the latter. His prolific scoring and enduring impact on the sport earned him induction into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1998.

Even after retiring from playing, MacNeil remained actively involved in lacrosse, joining the GBLax equipment company as research and development manager. His continued dedication to improving the sport’s equipment and advocating for its growth and development exemplifies his enduring legacy as a pioneer and innovator in Canadian lacrosse.

Scott Mellanby

Scott Mellanby has beaten the odds in a number of ways, but none more dramatic than his 20–year career in the National Hockey League.

Among the thousands of Canadian youngsters aspiring to be NHL’ers, how do you figure that the son of the executive producer of Hockey Night in Canada would be one of “gifted ones” who succeeded in that goal. Not only did he make it, his 20-years of service is testimony to the respect that he has earned over those two decades.

Born in Montreal in 1966, when he was five years old his dad had introduced him to Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard, Guy LaFleur and others of the cast of super heroes that had made the Montreal Canadiens into the most successful franchise in the six-team NHL. By the time the Mellanby family moved to Etobicoke, Scott was of age to play house league hockey with Humber Valley. Like many a young lad, he wasn’t an instant hit; actually he was a late bloomer.

When asked about his memories of Montreal, Scott said that they were few in number, but that he cherished Guy LaFleur as his favourite player and that when he arrived in Toronto he was a Montreal Canadiens fan. This in spite of the fact that his dad was neutral because of his HNIC duties as Scott recalls that era.
His father has told us about Scott’s minor hockey days and the son details a similar version.

Scott says that his father was always a positive force in all of his endeavours. “He never found fault with any of my performances right from pee wee to the NHL. He always congratulated me on a game well played and did so even when I didn’t do very well in a professional game.”

Scott treasures his youthful days at Humber Valley School and Richview Collegiate where he attended even though he played Junior “B” for Henry Carr. But when he did gain his height and weight as a Don Mills Flyers Midget, he had really developed as a prospect almost overnight. His father, Ralph, credits the great coaching that he received at Don Mills and Henry Carr juniors for the finished product that he turned out to be.

Even then, he chose college at the University of Wisconsin over junior “A” hockey in Canada and was still drafted by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1984 entry draft. Forsaking the Wisconsin Badgers after two years, where unfortunately he was stricken with “mono” and missed the NCAA finals in 1986, he turned professional the next year. He enjoyed a respectable rookie season while compiling 11 goals and 21 assists in 71 games.

Just prior to that, he had helped Canada to a Silver Medal at the World Juniors in Hamilton, Ontario with 5 goals and 4 assists in the 7–game series. In his five years with Philadelphia he recorded a balanced output of 83 goals and 114 assists. He then became an Edmonton Oiler in a 6–players swap with the Flyers in 1991. From there he was taken in the 1993 expansion draft by his old General Manager in Philly, Bobby Clarke who by then had the same job with the Florida Panthers.

This is where, now in his prime, he had his best years. He scored their first ever goal and then led them to the Stanley Cup final in 1996. He played his 1,000th game with the Panthers, was their Captain and chosen their Player of the Decade.

Traded to the St. Louis Blues in February of 2001, he recorded a tidy 57 points for the 2002–03 season and then after 2004 he signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Thrashers.

Becoming a Captain again with his new team, he played two more seasons and retired after 1431 games, 364 goals and 476 assists. Statistics don’t always tell the whole story, but in Scott’s case they do. Ten years constitutes a significant career, twenty years qualifies as an exceptional one.

Talent is one thing, good fortune is another; Scott met his wife Sue while at Madison playing for the Badgers and this turned out to be even better than being drafted by the Flyers. He relates how pleased he is that his daughter, Courtney, a high school senior is considering Wisconsin as her college of choice.

Scott and Sue are also parents to Carter 15, and Nicholas, 10 and this delightful family has come to grips with Carter’s autism in a positive way. With loving and constant care, Carter is a freshman at high school and although he can’t speak, he has learned to communicate with his iPod.

Often ability trumps character in athletes; when you have both qualities, you invariably become the team captain. It is fitting that Scott was so recognized by both the Florida Panthers and the Atlanta Thrashers. Similarly, players with long careers often wish to stay in the Game and usually begin an extensive study of every facet of coaching and management of personnel and strategic game plans. It is revealing that upon retirement, Scott worked for three years for the Vancouver Canucks as a special consultant to general manager, Mike Gillis and the hockey operations department.

When contemplating the vicissitudes of his NHL career, he made this observation to sum up the 20 years of constantly striving to win. “In four of the five franchises that I have played for, our teams made the final four of the Stanley Cup finals,” recalls the still combative Mellanby. “The feelings of achievement during those efforts to win it all are most satisfying even though we didn’t quite gain the ultimate prize,” this provides proof of a job well done for Scott.

He is currently increasing and applying his knowledge as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Blues. Scott has only ever played in one professional league and today finds the definitive adult education student still employed at what he loves best and knows best. Even though he left St. Louis for Atlanta at the end of his career, the family home stayed put because their roots were firmly entrenched there.

Scott finished the interview with these thoughts about his father’s career. He feels that Ralph should be inducted to the Hockey Hall of Fame for the simple reason that so many of the personalities that he hired and nurtured through the many improvements in hockey telecasting, have been recognized for their role and contributions. “Why not dad?” says the proud son.

There can be no more impressive a person than Scott; father, husband, professional athlete whose exploits and lengthy career only reinforce his worthiness to become a Member of the Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame. He is a most welcome addition.

Patrick J. Hughes a.k.a. “Pat”

Pat Hughes was born in Calgary but moved to Etobicoke with his parents when he was 5.

From his first day in the Royal York Minor Hockey League he dreamed of playing professional hockey. An outstanding player, he moved from league to league until spending 2 years in the tier 2 provincial Junior “A” Hockey League.

The University of Michigan scouted him, offering him a scholarship for his scholastic achievement and athletic ability.
At the end of his 3rd year, Pat was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens. He began his professional career with the Nova Scotia Voyageurs of the AHL and in his second year, was called up by the Canadiens, the start of his 10 year career in the NHL.

Pat’s talents were always in demand. His aggressive playing style and solid strength as a player took him to the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Edmonton Oilers, the Buffalo Sabres and the St. Louis Blues. In ten years, he played 573 games, scoring 130 goals and 128 assists.

Although he went on to an executive position in the Detroit area after his retirement from hockey, a few years later he resigned to fulfil a lifelong desire to become a police officer. He joined the Ann Arbor Police as a constable, quickly becoming a detective and is now a sergeant.

He and his wife, Heather, and their three daughters, Katie, Kelly and Kristi live in Dexter, Michigan, but Jim and Shirley Hughes, his parents, still live in the same Etobicoke house they moved into when he was 5.

Lisa Bentley

Lisa Bentley is an 11-time Ironman champion and one of Canada’s all-time best triathletes— a feat made all the more impressive by the fact that the upbeat athlete from Alderwood often finds it hard to breathe.

Bentley has a mild strain of cystic fibrosis, a genetic disease that causes frequent lung infections, along with coughing fits that can last for hours. But she also has the determination and mental toughness to persevere, no matter the obstacles.

Growing up, Bentley ran track and field at St. Ambrose Catholic School, but the serious-minded student didn’t think she could commit to high school sports and maintain the grades for a university scholarship. A math teacher at Michael Power/St. Joseph High School saw her potential and encouraged Bentley to compete in an upcoming race. She won, and was convinced that she could excel in the classroom and on the track.

Her illness was a factor early on. “When I was a kid, I was sick all the time. I was on antibiotics all winter long,” Bentley remembers. Her family thought she had particularly bad allergies, until her older sister was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and all four siblings were tested. Bentley had full lung capacity as a child, but she was susceptible to infection—a cold bug that would knock an otherwise healthy person out for a few days put her on medication for six weeks.

The budding triathlete loved to be active. She spent hours swimming at Alderwood Pool, running along Lakeshore Boulevard and Browns Line, and biking around a deserted Sherway Gardens parking lot on Sunday afternoons. Bentley first tried triathlon—a grueling race consisting of a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and 42 km run—at the University of Waterloo, where she swam and cycled as cross-training while recovering from her frequent running injuries. “I just thought, this was such a fun thing. The whole body is involved,” she said. After graduation, Bentley scheduled training and competitions around teaching high school mathematics and computer science, before her early success inspired her to focus full-time on sports.

She competed at home and abroad with Canada’s World Championship Elite Team, earning the chance to represent her country at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata, Argentina. The Canadian triathlon team won gold. “To hear the national anthem was unbelievable, and filled with so many emotions,” Bentley said. “To be part of a big sports field like that, where you’re racing for your country, that was my Olympics.”

Along with respiratory challenges that sometimes leave her coughing through an entire race, cystic fibrosis causes Bentley to lose sodium more quickly than the average athlete—a big problem when sweating through a triathlon. She also frequently ruptured her weakened Achilles tendons. “Many times I race unwell,” she said. But, she persevered. “If I didn’t do it because of cystic fibrosis, I’m going to do nothing. So I have to keep going.”

Bentley began her impressive global Ironman run by placing ninth at the 1997 Ironman World Championships, notching the second fastest debut time in history. She finished among the top ten at five different world championships, and peaked with a third place result in 2006. She came up through the ranks with fellow Canadians Lori Bowden and Heather Fuhr, who competed against one another as hard as they rooted for each other. “We weren’t superstars, we were just Canadian kids around the same age, pretty like-minded,” she said.

In national competition, Bentley captured 11 Ironman championships in eight years, the last coming after battling a heel injury at Ironman Canada in 2007. That tally includes three Canadian titles and five straight Ironman Australia wins. “It feels amazing when you can execute everything you’ve done in training,” said Triathlete magazine’s 2004 triathlete of the year.

Bentley’s relentless preparation gives her the physical and mental strength to adjust her race strategy if her illness flares up. She goes into every race knowing that she isn’t in perfect health, and that she may have to slow to a crawl to get through it. During one triathlon, with lungs burning and her body near collapse from sodium loss, she barely had the strength to stumble across the finish line and into the medical tent. “But I finished the race, because I don’t know if I’ll ever get to do this again,” she said. “I can’t quit. I just can’t. I finish what I start—no matter how hard it is.”

Her success is a validation of her hard work. “When I would cross the finish line and win, I thought of it as having the physical ability, nutrition and the mental toughness to problem solve and battle all the elements, and battle with my subconscious telling myself I can’t do it,” Bentley said. Learning to lose graciously was an equally valuable experience, she added.

The veteran athlete drew on her two decades of professional racing experience to provide colour commentary on CTV for the recent men’s and women’s Olympic marathons. Bentley has also been part of the broadcast team at numerous triathlon and Ironman events, and regularly gives motivational speeches to school groups and running clubs. But her most important audiences are youth with cystic fibrosis. “Cystic fibrosis is a gift. I can touch all these people’s lives and give them hope,” Bentley said. “For (young people) to see an athlete traveling the world and racing, that gave them hope. Of course, I started every race wanting to win, but I started to see my racing as having a bigger purpose.” She now promotes the need for research into cystic fibrosis as part of the Cure4CF campaign.

As a fitness and running coach in Caledon, Bentley encourages her clients to develop a lifelong love of sports. “It’s so amazing to see the evolution from non-athlete to athlete,” she said of her students. “That’s the goal for all my athletes—I want them to do sports forever.”

In 2009, Bentley lost significant lung function and ended up on an IV after coughing up blood during a race. She was forced to take a few steps back and get well, but still competes in triathlons and foot races, finishing the 2011 Boston Marathon with a time of 2:58. Her faith grounds her and helps her do her best. “God gave me talents, and this is my path,” she said. Bentley is grateful for her wide-ranging career, and for the advances in medicine that allowed her to compete at a high level. She is proud to be a role model for her students, clients, and people with cystic fibrosis. “If I quit, what kind of example is that?” she said.

Bentley is flattered that her career merits recognition from her hometown. “I always wanted to win, every time, but I never looked for acknowledgement. (The Hall of Fame) is an amazing bonus for me,” she said. “The first thing I thought of was my mom (Mary Laffradi) and dad (Albert, who passed away last year)—especially my dad, because he loved sports so much. I’m thinking how proud he’d be.

“I love sports, and I guess it comes down to what my parents always said: you do your best with what you have, every single time. That’s always been what I’ve done my entire career—turn negatives

into positives.”

Laura Konantz

Laura Konantz began to run at age 20, while at the University of Guelph. Since she wasn’t an especially athletic child, and only tried running because she was tired of fighting for space in the university’s crowded swimming pool, the consumer studies student didn’t think her first halting jogs around campus would lead to anything special.

How wrong she was. Konantz quickly discovered she had a natural talent for running.

At first, she was content with her short 20 minute jogs, until a friend encouraged her to extend them to 40 minutes, something the future marathoner thought quite impossible.

“I thought, I can’t do that, I’ll never be able to keep up,” she laughed. “I really just was doing it for fun.” But once she laced up the proper shoes and improved her technique, Konantz was off to the races—literally.

“Some people start running and it’s the worst thing they’ve ever done. They feel lots of aches and pains and wish it was all over,” she said. “I seemed to be able to improve quite quickly, to the point that it wasn’t too much of a struggle.”

After graduation, Konantz moved to Toronto and began training with the Longboat Roadrunners, which eased her transition to the big city and proved to be the catalyst for her stellar career. Though as recounted in the Winnipeg Free Press, her first foray with the club was less than auspicious: “She was so slow in her first Wednesday night 10–mile run that she lost sight of the pack and failed to find the finish point, ending up alone, lost and in tears.”

After building up speed and stamina, Konantz entered the 1986 Toronto Marathon, where to everyone’s surprise—including her own—the rookie runner was the top Canadian woman and second overall, finishing in 2 hours, 50 minutes.

“I was so elated you would have thought I had won the Olympics!” Konantz remembers. The globetrotting roadrunner has since competed in Europe, Japan, and many points in between, becoming what one admirer calls “one of Canada’s hardest-working, hardest-training and most successful female marathoners.” The busy athlete thrived on competition, from multiple wins at Hamilton’s Around the Bay 30K to representing Canada at the 1989 Francophone Games in Casablanca, Morocco, and the 1991 Pan American Games in Cuba.

Konantz says she loved the camaraderie of the running scene, though on race day she was an intense competitor who blocked out all distractions, to the point that she couldn’t remember anything of the scenery along the route. Her strategy was to start slow and pick up the pace toward the end, as her adrenalin kicked in and her competitors began to tire.

“People don’t realize what a mental as well as physical challenge a marathon can be. You really build up for so many months before the one race, especially when you’re at a high competitive level,” she said. She felt particularly strong during the 1990 Coors Light Half Marathon in Toronto, a “picture perfect day for running” when she finished second to American Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson. “I didn’t beat Joan—that wasn’t really the goal—but I was second to her, and ran a massive personal best. Everything clicked,” Konantz remembered.

At the 1990 Toronto Marathon, the confident Konantz ran one of the best races of her life. Her goal had always been to crack the two hour, 40 minute mark, and on a sunny fall day, she did just that, coming in second with her best ever time of 2:39:57.

That personal best came during a year of six marathons, an incredible feat that began in Houston in January and finished in Barbados, with stops in Columbus, Pittsburgh, Winnipeg and Toronto. The 31–year-old was at her prime, and the results confirmed it.

Expectations were high when Konantz toed the starting line at the Los Angeles Marathon in March 1991. Against a tough field, she somehow managed to match her Toronto Marathon time down to the second, digging deep to pass running icon Priscilla Welch and place ninth.

“For somebody who wasn’t much of an athlete growing up, I was quite proud of myself,” Konantz said. So was her coach, Paul Poce of the Toronto Olympic Club, though he did have one tiny complaint. “When I got back, my coach asked, ‘you couldn’t have run one second faster?’” Konantz said, laughing. Two months later, in the blistering Ottawa heat, she won the Canadian Marathon Championships and qualified for the Pan Am Games in Havana, though an injury prevented her from competing. Konantz’s past students at the High Park Running Room and current fitness class participants in the City of Brampton’s recreation department have heard little about their modest teacher’s running exploits. But she cannot hide from her many adoring fans in Barbados.

Her strong finish in Toronto led her to Bridgetown in 1986, where she won the women’s Barbados Marathon by an astonishing 30 minutes. “I didn’t realize I was so far ahead, and I was so nervous that I just kept going. And (Toronto Marathon organizer Allen Brookes) is beside me in one of those little mopeds going, ‘You can slow down—you don’t have to run quite so fast!’” she laughed. “The Queen of the Marathon” would defend her title for the next four years, setting a course record that still stands today and becoming somewhat of a local celebrity.

“I’ve always had a place in my heart for Barbados. I was recognized all along the route—‘there she is! The little girl from Canada!’” Konantz recalled. She was also recognized whenever she raced in her home province. The Winnipeg native won the Manitoba Marathon five times in front of family and friends, including her sisters Patty and Martha, her mother Mary—who would often drive alongside the course to watch Laura in action – and her father Bill, an avid sportsman who enjoyed seeing his daughter win her hometown race. Childhood friends marveled that someone who never ran in high school was now winning marathons.

While winning was “really gratifying,” Konantz felt a greater sense of accomplishment when setting a personal best. “I thrived on trying to improve myself, focusing on getting a little bit faster. I wanted to see what my potential was,” she said. Konantz ran her 55th and final marathon in Winnipeg in 2003. Today, the 52–year-old still runs regularly through High Park and by the lake, and competes in shorter races.

“I really just find it quite therapeutic. I can get into my zone, and I just feel better and have much more energy after I run,” she said. The accomplished athlete praises her coach, Paul Poce, for his guidance and support, and her massage therapist, Walter Schmanda, for keeping her race-ready for so many years. Her husband Dave, whom she met when he signed up for her running class, has been “incredibly supportive” of her career, she said.

Ironman triathlete Lynn O’Connor credits Konantz with encouraging her to pursue the sport. A respected teacher who has motivated hundreds of students, Konantz says she admires the recreational runners who strive to do their best even when the only stakes are bragging rights among friends. “I love it, because running is

a very accepting sport,” she said. “Anybody can enter a race, no matter if they’re at the back of the pack or the front, or anywhere in between.”

She hopes her story convinces others that it’s never too late to follow their passion. “Marathon training is like life—it’s going to have its ups and downs. But ultimately, if you focus on that long-term goal and have short-term goals leading up to it, you will be able to achieve it.”

Molly Killingbeck

Molly Killingbeck is a world-renowned sprinter who has brought honour, medals and glory to Canada, even though she has claimed, with self-deprecating humour, that she only took up running to avoid after-school chores, because “anyone could join the track team.”

A four-time national sprint champion, she competed in the Olympic Games in 1984 and 1988, bringing home a silver medal, as well as winning gold twice at the Commonwealth Games, silver at the Pan Am Games and the World University Games. In international competition she has won 16 golds, 13 silvers and 7 bronzes at the 200 and 400 metre distances.

Far from hanging up her track shoes after the Olympics, she continued her passionate involvement in her sport as a sprint/relay coach, including coaching the Canadian Men’s Gold Medal relay team (4x100m) at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Her dedication and her abilities have earned her more awards than can be listed here: among others, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award in 2002, York University’s athlete of the year, and athlete of the year of the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union; and the International Amateur Athletic Federation Merit Award. She has also been an inductee to the York University Sport Hall of Fame.

Her involvement with Etobicoke and its surrounding communities goes back to her childhood. As a school athlete from York District, she competed with Etobicoke schools; later she moved with her own family into south Etobicoke.

In addition to the work she does for all Canadian athletes, Molly has continued to enrich the life of the community of Etobicoke through generous gifts of her time, knowledge and skills – everything from an ongoing commitment to the James S. Bell Community School Advisory Board to participation in programs at Christ the King Catholic Church, which she, her husband Liam O’Connor and son Quinn still attend, and taking part in volunteer programs in the schools aimed at helping kids enjoy an active lifestyle.

Lou Cavalaris Jr.

Lou Cavalaris Jr., dreamed of being a baseball pitcher, and played ball right up until his university days. But after serving in the Merchant Marines during World War II, Lou returned home to Hamilton, Ohio.
Lou’s father was in the restaurant business for many years, but also owned many horses… and this is what caught Lou’s attention… horse racing. He started his career at the Detroit Racecourse but later moved to Toronto in 1947, where it didn’t take him long to establish himself as a great trainer.

In 1966, he was named North America’s best trainer, by winning 175 races… and was third leading trainer for races won, in 1967 and 1968.

Lou trained some of Canada’s most outstanding horses, including Victorian Era, Ice Water and Carneys Point. One of his proudest moments, was winning the Wood Memorial in 1968 with horse Dancer’s Image.

In 1978, he became the highly respected Racing Secretary for The Ontario Jockey Club, but after 10 years in the role, Lou couldn’t resist the urge to train horses again.
His achievements were recognized when he was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1995.
Lou is now retired from racing. He and his wife Helen are long-time residents of Etobicoke.