A long and frustrating travel day returning from Canadian Olympic Trials last month turned into one of the most special of Michelle Harrison’s life.
She was told by the Canadian Olympic Committee that she had been selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics, marking the pinnacle of her track and field career so far.
“It was just a mix of emotions from relief from the stress of the qualification process to just being happy that my dream finally came true,” said Harrison.
“I was on a lengthy road trip back from Montreal after a cancelled flight. So it was just a whole rollercoaster of emotions.”
The 31-year-old will make her Olympic debut in Paris, completing a journey which has taken the Saskatoon product from Evan Hardy Collegiate to the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and a successful professional career on the track.
Along the way, she’s had Jason Reindl by her side as coach from her early days with the Saskatoon Track & Field Club in high school to winning golds at the U Sports national level with the Huskies.
Now Reindl, who also leads the Huskies track and field team, is getting his first opportunity to coach at an Olympics as he’ll be joining Harrison overseas to support her training during the Games.
“Getting this opportunity [with a] first-time coach, first-time athlete, born and raised in Saskatoon together, both Evan Hardy grads, it just really means a lot,” said Reindl.
Harrison has called Reindl her coach for the better part of a decade and credits him for helping elevate her running to the Olympic level.
“One of the things I had trouble with early in my career was finding a coach that I worked well with,” said Harrison. “Being able to have Jason and working together with him over the last few years has been a huge game-changer for my career.”
After her collegiate career with the Huskies ended, Harrison was on Canada’s radar for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics until the pandemic, injury and illness delayed that dream.
Even with the disappointment of waiting for Paris 2024 to come around, Harrison took her running to another level, winning three consecutive Canadian national titles in the 100m hurdles from 2021 to 2023 with a silver medal recently won at Canadian Trials.
“The timing of that is very unique and we’re going to be talking about it for a long time,” said Reindl. “But that 2020 year was when it was like, ‘OK this is real. We’re going to really prioritize it.’ The rest is kind of history over these last four years.”
Harrison’s training is unlike many other athletes on the Canadian national team, as she trains year-round in her home city of Saskatoon rather than a city with a warmer running environment.
Getting to reach her goal of cracking an Olympic team while racing at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex is something that hasn’t been lost on Harrison, riding a wave of support from Saskatchewan to her moment on the track in Paris.
“When I was young I got pushed away a lot trying to go to other opportunities,” said Harrison. “But I really only run fast here, so it’s special to be able to do that with my friends, family and support system.”
Seeing the dedication from Harrison each training session, Reindl added it’s a testament to her resiliency to have the patience to see her Olympic dream become a reality.
“It’s a great story,” said Reindl. “It’s got a few chapters of, ‘Oh that kind of sucks.’
“But when you get to ‘Chapter Blank: The Olympics,’ that’s when you smile and it brings a tear to your eye.”
Harrison is one of three Saskatchewan-based athletes to be competing in track and field in Paris, joining fellow first-time Olympian and Canadian record holder in 400m hurdles Savannah Sutherland, as well as Olympic veteran in pole vault Anicka Newell.
Harrison’s first heat at the Paris Olympics will come on Aug. 7.