Sage Watson racing at the Tokyo Olympics. Watson has been named honourary parade marshal for the 2023 Medicine Hat Stampede parade.(Photo Courtesy Athletics Canada)

By Chris Brown

Olympian Sage Watson to lead Medicine Hat Stampede parade

Jul 18, 2023 | 11:08 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Sage Watson is trading her track shoes for cowgirl boots.

The two-time Canadian Olympian has been named honourary parade marshal for the 2023 Medicine Hat Stampede parade.

“I grew up going to the Medicine Hat Stampede and my family has been a big part of the Stampede as well and so it’s just a huge honour to be named parade marshal and I’m really looking forward to getting to enjoy the Stampede,” she says.

Raised on a ranch near Seven Persons, Alta., Watson competed in the 2016 Rio and 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She was part of Team Canada’s women’s 4×400 metre relay team that placed fourth and reached the semifinal in the 400m hurdles both years.

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Watson’s semifinal time of 54.33 at the 2019 World Athletics Championships broke the national record that had stood since 1996 and qualified her for the final.

She stepped away from racing following an injury she suffered leading up to the Tokyo Olympics and competed in just one race in 2022.

Used to running as fast as she can, Watson will be riding in style next week.

“I won’t be riding a horse I’ll be riding a carriage because I did have hip surgery five weeks ago so I will be in a carriage,” she says. “I love horseback riding, it’s sad that I won’t be able to get to do that but honestly I’m more sort of just excited to be back home and be surrounded by people I know, friends and family and I’m just really looking forward to having a fun time.”

Watson has fond memories of Stampede as a child and says she always has a blast.

“Rodeoing has been a big part of my family, my dad was on the Stampede board so you know getting to see all the behind-the-scenes work that goes into putting on the Stampede, going to the shows of course going on the rides, eating all the fun foods, going to the art shows seeing all the animals,” she says. “I think there’s a lot of exciting things to be shown especially getting to show agriculture and what agriculture does for our community.”

The Stampede parade is on July 27 beginning at 9 a.m.