Valley Royals Track & Field Club
Encyclopedia
The Valley Royals Track & Field Club is an athletics club based out of Abbotsford, British Columbia
. Their uniforms are royal blue, red, and white, and their head coach is the legendary Gerry Swan. The club is based out of Jane & Gerry Swan Track at Rotary Stadium
(so named in tribute to Coach Swan and his late wife), although they also have training groups in the Burnaby/Coquitlam area.
The Valley Royals are a member club of BC Athletics (British Columbia Athletics Association) and Athletics Canada
.
Shortly after Jane Swan's death in 2004, the city of Abbotsford renamed Rotary Stadium as "Jane & Gerry Swan Track at Rotary Stadium
", in recognition of their contributions to the sport of athletics and the Abbotsford community as a whole. The following year, Jane was posthumously inducted to the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
Current Valley Royals:
Former Valley Royals:
since it was completed in 1986, including:
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Abbotsford is a Canadian city located in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, adjacent to Greater Vancouver. It is the fifth largest municipality in British Columbia, home to 123,864 people . Its Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the District of Mission, is the 23rd largest in Canada,...
. Their uniforms are royal blue, red, and white, and their head coach is the legendary Gerry Swan. The club is based out of Jane & Gerry Swan Track at Rotary Stadium
Rotary Stadium
Jane & Gerry Swan Track at Rotary Stadium is a fully lighted, multi-purpose stadium located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It features a rubberized 400 metre running track with wide turns and full field event facilities...
(so named in tribute to Coach Swan and his late wife), although they also have training groups in the Burnaby/Coquitlam area.
The Valley Royals are a member club of BC Athletics (British Columbia Athletics Association) and Athletics Canada
Athletics Canada
Athletics Canada or AC is the national governing body of athletics in Canada, which includes track and field, cross-country running and road running. Its purpose is the pursuit of leadership, development and competition that ensures world-level performance in athletics...
.
History
The Abbotsford Royals (as they were originally named) were founded in 1980 by a group of parents who were unhappy with the direction of the Abbotsford Track Club; within five years, the original track club merged with the Royals. Initially a junior development organization, the Royals blossomed under the leadership of three founding members: Paul Anderson (their first president), Gerry Swan (their first and only head coach), and his wife Jane.Shortly after Jane Swan's death in 2004, the city of Abbotsford renamed Rotary Stadium as "Jane & Gerry Swan Track at Rotary Stadium
Rotary Stadium
Jane & Gerry Swan Track at Rotary Stadium is a fully lighted, multi-purpose stadium located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It features a rubberized 400 metre running track with wide turns and full field event facilities...
", in recognition of their contributions to the sport of athletics and the Abbotsford community as a whole. The following year, Jane was posthumously inducted to the BC Sports Hall of Fame.
Coaches
Current Valley Royals coaches:- Gerry Swan - Head Coach (Middle Distance)
- Sue Northey - Middle Distance Coach
- Brit Townsend - Middle Distance Coach (Burnaby/Coquitlam)
- Zbigniew (Ziggy) Szelagowicz - Power/Speed Coach
- Tom Dickson - Power/Speed Coach (Burnaby)
- Harold Willers - Throws Coach
- Larry Neilson - Junior Development Coordinator/Coach
- James Meehan - Junior Development Coach
Olympians
Over the years, the Valley Royals have recruited several international-calibre athletes, and developed many children into great athletes. The following are lists of former and current Valley Royals (with Olympic years and events) who have competed at Olympic Games, many during their time as Valley Royals.Current Valley Royals:
- Michael MasonMichael Mason (athlete)Michael Mason is a Canadian high jumper.He won the IAAF World Junior Championships gold medal in 2004. From Nanoose Bay, British Columbia, Mason is only the second Canadian to win a World Junior Championship gold medal, following Mark Boswell who won in 1996...
- 20082008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
- high jumpHigh jumpThe high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years.... - Ruky Abdulai 20082008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
- long jumpLong jumpThe long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point... - Stephanie McCann - 20042004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
- pole vaultPole vaultPole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts... - Royals & SFU coach Brit Townsend - 19841984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
- 1,500 m - Royals coach Harold Willers - 19841984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
- hammer throwHammer throwThe modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...
(did not compete due to injury)
Former Valley Royals:
- Leah PellsLeah PellsLeah Marlee Pells is a retired female track and field athlete from Canada, who competed in the middle distance events and was once ranked first in the world in the 1500 metres. She represented Canada at three consecutive Summer Olympics, from in 1992 to 2000. Pells finished fourth in the 1500...
- 19921992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
- 3,000 m; 19961996 Summer OlympicsThe 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
, 20002000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
- 1,500 m - Lynn Williams - 19841984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
- 3,000 m; 19881988 Summer OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
- 1,500 m - Graeme FellGraeme FellGraeme Vincent Fell is a former 3000 meters steeplechase runner. In 1982 he competed for England at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia, winning a silver medal in the 3000m steeplechase behind Julius Korir of Kenya...
- 19881988 Summer OlympicsThe 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, 19921992 Summer OlympicsThe 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
- 3,000 m steeplechaseSteeplechase (athletics)The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each... - Greg DuhaimeGreg DuhaimeGreg Duhaime was a Canadian middle distance runner, onetime Canadian record holder in the 3000 metres steeplechase.Duhaime's parents reside in Elliot Lake...
- 19841984 Summer OlympicsThe 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
- 3,000 m steeplechaseSteeplechase (athletics)The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...
Other Noteworthy Athletes
Other athletes who have represented the Valley Royals on the international stage include:- Sarah Howell
- Kevin Robinson
- Angela Froese
- Heather deGeest
- Courtney Inman
- Marty Cluff
- Cari Rampersad
- Jas Gill
- Wes Boudreau
- Matt Clifford
- Corrina Wolf
- Peter Cardle
- Natalie Jackson
- Meredith Macgregor
- Julia Howard
- Rebecca Johnstone
Events
The Valley Royals have hosted many prestigious events at Jane & Gerry Swan Track at Rotary StadiumRotary Stadium
Jane & Gerry Swan Track at Rotary Stadium is a fully lighted, multi-purpose stadium located in Abbotsford, British Columbia. It features a rubberized 400 metre running track with wide turns and full field event facilities...
since it was completed in 1986, including:
- Pre Commonwealth Games1994 Commonwealth GamesThe 1994 Commonwealth Games were held in Victoria, in the province of British Columbia in Canada, from 18 August to 28 August 1994.The XV Commonwealth Games marked South Africa's return to the Commonwealth Games following the apartheid era, and over 30 years since the country last competed in the...
Meet - 1994 - Western Canada Summer GamesWestern Canada Summer GamesThe Western Canada Summer Games were established in 1975 as a multi-sport event to provide development opportunities for amateur athletes and to help them advance their skills in a competitive, but friendly environment. The games also serve to broaden the exposure of talented athletes and provide a...
- 1995 - Harry JeromeHarry JeromeHenry "Harry" Winston Jerome, was a Canadian track and field runner. He was the grandson of John Howard, a railway porter who represented Canada in the 1912 Summer Olympics....
International Track Classic - 1996 - Canadian Senior Championships - 1997
- NAIANational Association of Intercollegiate AthleticsThe National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
National Championships - 1992, 1993, 2000, 2001 - BC Disability Games - 2002
- BC Summer GamesBC Summer GamesThe BC Summer Games are an amateur sporting event held every year annually in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The next games are slated to be held in Langley, BC from July 22 - July 25, 2010....
- 2004 - BC Seniors Games - 2006
- Canadian 10,000 m Championships - 2006, 2007
- Canadian Junior Championships - 1997, 2007, 2008
- Abbotsford International Track Classic - every June since 2003 (as part of the PacifiCanada Series)
- Countless BC Championships (for the Junior Development, Juvenile/Youth, Junior, Senior, and Master age groups)