Confident McBean takes reins for Canada
Marnie McBean knows what it’s like to pull together toward a common goal, having done it for decades as a rower, and then as a mentor to Canadian Olympic and Pan Am Games athletes.
The 51-year-old, who was born in Vancouver and lives in Toronto, will now have her hand on the rudder as Canada’s chef de mission for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. The fierce competitor already had her Games face on when the Canadian Olympic Committee made the announcement on Monday on Parliament Hill in Ottawa as part of official Canada Day festivities.
“Canadians used to be uncomfortable declaring their confidence on the world stage, and it showed in our performance — we were putting our goals in chalk instead of stone,” McBean said. “Without arrogance, now Canadians bravely project readiness and our ambitions indelibly in stone.
“To find that courage, the message I share with elite athletes, school kids and corporations, is that there are no superheroes out there. It’s ordinary people like us, like you, who achieve incredible things.”
McBean did exactly that while competing in Barcelona in 1992 and Atlanta in 1996. She won four Olympic medals, three gold and a bronze. She and former rowing partner Kathleen Heddle are the only Canadian triple-gold medallists from the Summer Games.
McBean was primed to win more medals in Sydney, Australia in 2000, but a back injury put her on the sidelines. It was a pivotal moment.
“In Sydney, when the chance to medal disappeared with a blown disc in my back, I learned more about myself, kindness and the Olympics, than I could otherwise have imagined,” said McBean. “I suppose the door to my becoming a mentor opened right then.”
She has worked with the COC to prepare athletes emotionally and psychologically to give their best at both Summer and Winter Olympics. Having been there and done that, McBean’s message is worth hearing.
“At my first Games, I’m not sure which was the bigger asset, the volumes of our training and preparation, or the fact that we were young and naive. As Kathleen and I approached our second Games, the expectation that we would win threatened to take away all the joy, but we found a way to keep the lead. It’s true that winning never gets easier.”
McBean represented Canada from 1987-2000, adding eight medals from world championships to her Olympic haul. She’s an Officer of the Order of Canada, and was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame.
“I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Marnie over the years, and have always been amazed by her accomplishments,” said Tricia Smith, COC president and an Olympic silver medallist in rowing. “She’s an incredible individual. Since her own sport success, she has been an inspiration and mentor for many of Canada’s athletes, helping them succeed, even beyond the field of play. She’s a legend in our sport and I know she’ll be equally as exceptional as chef de mission.”
The Tokyo Olympics open on July 24 and close Aug. 9. There are 33 sports on the program and 339 medal events. The Games are expected to attract more than 11,000 athletes and officials from 206 countries.
Canada will be looking to improve upon a 22-medal performance at Rio de Janeiro 2016.