This year Canada will send 337 athletes to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, 193 who will compete in women’s events and 122 in men’s events. Among them will be Kate Current from Precious Corners, just outside of Cobourg.
Current’s mother Jennifer tells us how Kate’s joy of competing came into being.
According to Jennifer, after being a competitive gymnast for nearly ten years, Kate transitioned to running in high school.
Kate’s mother told us that her high school coach Dawn Watson encouraged her to join a track club as most of the kids that were achieving success at OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) were members of clubs and trained year-round.
Kate joined the Speed Academy in Pickering and Jennifer says both the club and Ms. Watson were instrumental in getting Kate where she is today, as was her university coach Guy Shultz.
Jennifer tells us Kate excelled both athletically and academically.
During her time in university, Kate competed for Western University and was the Mustangs Female Athlete of the Year in 2022. She’s also the school’s record holder in the 1500m and 3000m, breaking records that had stood for 37 years. Notably, she won gold in both events at the 2022 USports Championships.
It will come as no surprise that both her mother Jennifer and father Grant are extremely proud of Kate who received a degree in Civil Engineering and a Masters in Civil Engineering at Western University.
When asked if the family will be on hand to cheer Kate on, her father Grant says everyone is going.
Jennifer tells us that the whole community has come out in support of Kate.
Kate’s mother tells us that friends and neighbours have been calling and stopping them on the street to pass on their good wishes to Kate.
Current will compete in the Women’s 1500m Round 1, Stade de France to be held on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024 at 4:05 a.m. local time.
(Written by: Joseph Goden)
