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Watson in town to speak about Olympic journey

Dec 23, 2016 | 10:52 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Medicine Hat got a chance to hear in person the effort it takes to make it to the Olympics.

Local athlete Sage Watson, who competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this past summer, returned to Medicine Hat to host the Meet An Olympian event Thursday evening at the Family Leisure Centre.

“I’m sharing my Olympic journey,” said Watson, speaking at the CHAT Television studio at noon Thursday. “This is the first time being home since the Olympics, so I haven’t gotten to share my experience with the city of Medicine Hat, Cypress County or my family and friends.”

Watson, a graduate from Medicine Hat High School who now races for the University of Arizona Wildcats, placed 11th in the women’s 400 metre hurdles and anchored the Canadian team to a fourth-place finish in the 4×400 metre relay at the Olympics in August.

Watson says she set high expectations for herself and adds she was proud of her performance and the performance of her fellow teammates.

“If you don’t set the bar high, you have nothing to aim for,” she said. “I set some big goals for myself, some things I knew I could accomplish and running my own race. “I’m definitely happy with my performance and I’m really happy with how our relay team did.

“Canada had one of the top finishes in its Olympic history for the 4×4. Just to be a part of that, it was amazing.”

The Seven Persons-raised athlete says competing in the Olympics has also inspired her to aim higher going into her NCAA season and a potential berth at the International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships. She adds she hopes to represent Canada once again at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and says she wants to come away with a gold medal and a podium finish for Canada.

She adds being a part of Team Canada will be a highlight for her for the rest of her life.

“Just the experience of going to Rio and meeting the other athletes from Canada and being there as one team,” she said. “We’ve never met before, all the athletes, and there we are, cheering each other on and representing Canada.”

During the event, a silent auction was held, with all proceeds benefitting the Medicine Hat Track and Field Society, which Watson says helped her career.

“It’s great to see the support for this track society,” Watson said during a break at the event. “This money is going towards other athletes and help them develop and pursue their dreams, not just in track and field, but in sports in general.”

Before the event, Watson ran a seminar for track athletes inside the Family Leisure Centre, giving them tips to become better at hurdles. Watson says Medicine Hat has the potential to become a breeding ground for track and field athletes.

“There are some potential up-and-coming athletes,” she said. “Look out 2020 and 2024 for some new Medicine Hat athletes competing at the Olympics.”