Liz Gleadle sealed her fate with a 60.13 metre javelin throw Friday afternoon in Calgary at the Canadian Track and Field Championships.
Already the national womans record holder for her 61.15m throw earlier in the month at the Harry Jerome Track Classic, Gleadle had previously met the Olympic standard and will represent Canada at the London Summer Games.
She will be the first Canadian woman to compete at the Olympics since 1988 but the 23-year-old Kitsilano graduate almost bowed out of Nationals before competition began.
I was hoping to do better here. I had an injury. I actually couldn't walk last Tuesday. I was just devastated. I didn't think I would be able to compete. It was really bad. I was fortunate enough to be here and throw 60 metres, she said, citing the great work of her athletic therapist.
Hers was not a personal best, but the former T-bird finished first in a field of 15 athletes and beat her closest competitor by nearly five metres.
Her winning throw came on her first attempt. She then fouled three of her next five throws but the initial toss was all she needed.
"I don't know what happened to the rest of my throws but hey, you only need one, she told Courier sports columnist Jim Morris covering the national trials in Calgary.
Last spring Gleadle moved to Lethbridge, Alta. to train with Larry Steinke. She said overhauling her life was worth it.
"I took this year off just so I could make London. I took time off school, I moved cities. I did everything I was supposed to do. I napped, I ate, I slept some more. I trained really hard. I did everything I was told to do by my coach. I trust him completely and it's really paid off. It's nice to know I can have that trust in my coach and I know what he's doing for me is best for me. I just shut my mouth, do the workout, do what he tells me to do and everything will work out.''
She overcame freakish injuries to continue training and said her trust in Steinke is absolute.
Sometimes you need to know when to rest. It's more about having faith about how knowledgeable your coach is, knowing that he isn't going to give you any more or any less than what you are supposed to have and exactly what you are doing is what you are supposed to be doing.
Gleadle is confident she has much more to give, especially when healthy.
There is a lot more left in the tank.
The injury that almost sidelined her this week was to her ankle. She felt sudden pain.
It made this click. I felt a pop in my foot and it locked up my ankle. We were indoors because it was raining, she said. At least I wasn't doing something I wasn't suppose to do. That's the worstif you go out and play basketball and sprain your ankle, then you feel like an idiot. I don't feel like an idiot. It was just bad luck.''
She said she will be ready for London.
"Its OKpush through the pain, take some Advil.''
Megan Stewart
