Carol was born in 1982 and raised in Parry Sound. She is the middle child of Bonnie & Mickey and sister to Kristie and Mickey. She attended Humphrey, Isabella, Nobel Elementary Schools and graduated from Parry Sound High School.
Carol’s running career began in Grade 4 trying to keep up to her sister as they trained for the Caverhill Road Race.
Although Carol has run internationally, the Caverhill in Nobel has always been a favorite. She has very fond memories of teammates, excitement at the starting line, new shoes, a morning off school, ribbons, establishing new records and celebrating fun finishes. Running became Carol’s favorite sport.
Carol was a member of the Parry Sound Legion and the Parry Sound High School Track & Field Club for 5 years.
During that time, she represented the Legion and School in the 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, hurdles, relay teams and cross country. Under the outstanding expertise and truly exceptional dedication of Jim Slepica and Bart Nichol, Carol returned to Parry Sound with many Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) medals & Legion Awards. She also won the famous 2 Mile North American High School Race in Bloomington, Indiana in 2000.
Carol was a two-time Canadian National Gold Medal Cross Country Champion in 1999 and 2000. She was selected to compete on the Canadian National Team. She placed 15th at the World Cross Country Championships in Portugal in 2000. At the World Jr. Track & Field Championships in Chile, (2000) Carol was 7th in the 3km and 9th in the 5km.
Carol was fortunate to be awarded an athletic scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC). The highlights of her many accomplishments over the five years included:
- 3rd Overall University Female runner in USA/NCAA 3000M Steeplechase in 2002. This was also a Canadian Track Record that stood for 12 years, a University of North Carolina Record, an Atlantic Coast Conference Record and an All American Indoor and Outdoor Record.
- 2nd in the Great American Cross Country Championships – 5km in 2004 (7 seconds behind 1st. Place)
- Winning the prestigious 4×1500 m event at the Penn State Relays with her University of North Carolina Team. Carol also won the 3000m race amongst a very competitive field. The prestigious Penn State Relays is the oldest and largest track & field competition in the United States. It has been held annually since 1895 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
- In 2003 she was part of the Atlantic Conference Coast Cross Country Team Champions with her University of North Carolina teammates. The Atlantic Coast Conference’s top athletes and teams are considered to be among the top collegiate competitors in the United States.
Carol graduated from UNC with a Bachelor of Arts in Management & Psychology.
She then attended Pepperdine University in California and completed her MBA in Finance. She is currently working at ManuLife in Toronto and enjoying family life with husband Jay, son Hudson and daughter Brooklynn.
A HUGE thank you to the fabulous coaches, the Town of Parry Sound, the Parry Sound Legion, a fabulous high school track, and a wonderful fitness trail which all supported Carol’s running journey.
