Dr. Nicole Forrester, 6'3 1/2"
Never say never because while we may have Life planned out, Life might have things differently planned for us. That is my athletic story.
I was born in Toronto, Ontario but grew up in the country, in the small village of Cookstown whose population is smaller than most high schools (population 800 people). As a child I only wished one day I could compete in the Olympic Games, but nothing in my youth of swinging from the monkey bars or participating in extracurricular sports in school would have ever told me that this wish would come to fruition.
However, on one fateful day Life would share its plans for me. While working at McDonald's restaurant at the age of 17 years old, a coach (Dave Hunt) from the University of Toronto saw my "never ending long legs" and wondered if I'd like to learn how to high jump. He introduced me to Carl Georgevski, who in turn introduced me to the High Jump. And the rest they say is history! I earned a full athletic scholarship to the University of Michigan and would be coached for the majority of my athletic career (even years after I graduated) by James Henry, the head coach of the Women's Track & Field program. That "fateful day" would prove to change the course of my life forever.
I am an Olympian and an 8-time Canadian Track & Field Champion in the High Jump. I have represented Canada on 20 national teams. I am the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medalist, as well as a Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, Pan American Games silver and bronze medalist, Francophone Games silver and bronze medalist, and a World University Games silver medalist. And if you had told me when I was a kid that I would become the athlete I am today, I wouldn't have believed it! Never say never.
On an aside, I'm also a nerd. I am an avid reader and have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Ironically, the more I learn the more I realize how much I don't know. I hold a doctoral degree in the area of sport psychology from Michigan State University, specializing in high performance For more than 15 years, I have committed myself to the understanding and implementation of high performance sport as an athlete, as well as a scholar and a professional. It's no surprise that my research area of interest is looks at how elite athletes are able to make the leap – from Good to Great.
My passion off the track is simply to improve the culture of sport in Canada, where the power of sport beyond the podium is embodied and well understood by all Canadians.
Thank you for stopping in to learn a little about me. But, most importantly thank you for your support. None of us can achieve all that we do in life without the emotional and caring support of those around us!
Dr. Forrester