Hailed as Canada’s greatest 800-metre runner, Gary Reed has led an exciting life in athletics!
Born in Texas, Gary lived there for only a short time before moving to Canada with his mother, Mary, and sister, Nicole. Their family journey took them to Haida Gwaii for five years, Vernon for five more years, then Logan Lake for six months and on to Merritt where Gary attended school for grades 5- 11. Gary completed grade 12 in Kamloops, which is where he loved to run track, having been a member of the Kamloops Track and Field Club (KTFC) since the age of 14.
Gary was originally coached by KTFC head coach Derek Evely and took an interest in long jump, triple jump, sprints, and distance running. He tried decathlon in Grade 12, winning the BC High School Championships and going on to place second at the Canadian National Junior Championships and fourth at the Pan American Juniors in the decathlon. The following year, Gary focused solely on the 400m distance before winning the Canadian National Junior Championships in 2000. In 2001 he made his first Senior National Team as a 4x400m relay member.
At the age of 20, Gary changed events once again from the 400m to 800m. In 2002, Gary moved to Victoria after connecting with National Training Centre Head Coach Wynn Gmitroski and Brent Fougner, who led the then-PacificSport Training Centre. The move would have been impossible without the financial backing of PacificSport, the athlete housing program and the truly excellent leadership and coaching provided by Wynn.
Under Wynn’s guidance and with the support of the sporting community in Victoria, Gary's career reached new heights at this difficult distance that demanded so much in both speed and endurance. The many years of hard work and support culminated in Gary triumphantly bringing home the Silver medal in the 800m from the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan.
At just 29 years of age, Gary retired from athletics in 2010 as the 800m Canadian record holder and a seven-time Canadian champion (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009). He represented Canada at two Olympic Games (Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008), six World Championships (2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009) and the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia. Gary’s best performances included his Silver medal at the 2007 World Championships and a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Gary, his wife Caitlin of 12 years and their two daughters, Anna and Sophie, are currently living in Kamloops, BC where Gary now works as a Real Estate Developer. Gary credits his wife, in-laws Cathy and Frank Quinn, his mother and sister and his past coaches and supporters for their positive energy and love over the years that underpinned his remarkable achievements on the track.
