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.

Dave grew up in Victoria, enjoying all that the city had to offer in the way of sports, with a special emphasis on basketball and football.

He played high school basketball under Coach and basketball icon Don Horwood. Oak Bay won the provincial championships in both 1973 and 1974, becoming the first team to win “back-to-back” in 23 years. Dave is joined by lifelong friends Rob Parris, Tim Carlson and Evan Jones as the four players to have been on both teams. He was a second team all-star in 1973 and a first team all-star in 1974.

Dave also played juvenile football in Victoria, first for the Saanich Chew Excavating Hornets and then for Farmer Construction, primarily as a defensive end.

At UBC, Dave played two years of basketball before joining the Thunderbirds Football Team which won the Western Conference Championship Hardy Cup in 1977. In the 1978 Canadian Football League (CFL) draft, Dave was taken first overall.

Dave played nine years in the CFL – eight-and-a-half of them with the Calgary Stampeders - all as a starting offensive lineman, except for his first year when he played on special teams and as a blocking tight end in short yardage situations. During his career, he was named to three Western All-Star teams and was offensive Captain of the team for three years. As their top offensive lineman, Dave was also Calgary’s three-time nominee for the Schenley Award, given by the CFL for the league’s Most Outstanding Player.

Dave’s early days as a lineman were at the guard position. After a few years of solid play, Calgary moved him to offensive left tackle, a position made famous by the movie “Blind Side” which highlighted the importance of protecting the quarterback’s blind side on passing plays.

Dave was selected as the starting offensive left tackle for the 1983 CFL All-Star game in Vancouver, the only CFL All-Star game in modern history, and scored his only professional touchdown by falling on a fumbled ball in the end zone. He still smiles when he thinks of the “skill” it takes to fall on a loose ball.

Finishing his career in 1986 in Toronto, Dave was one game short of a Grey Cup appearance. Never having played in a Grey Cup is the one thing he wishes he could change, but he has so many great memories of teammates and “leaving it all on the field” that he can get over this shortcoming (most of the time).

Dave and his wife Pam recently returned to Victoria, drawn back by everything Victoria has to offer, but most importantly because their two daughters, Erin and Hannah, and grandchildren Dylan, Ivy, Olivia, and Henry – all future hall-of-famers in their own right! - were already living on the Island. They have been fortunate to have remained well connected with their Victoria friends from “the good old days” over all these years.