How coming home to Saskatoon helped hurdler Michelle Harrison qualify for her first Olympics

Saskatoon may not be the first place that comes to mind as a hotbed for breeding track and field Olympians, but hurdler Michelle Harrison says coming home helped her qualify for her first Olympics.

Next month, Harrison will compete for Canada in the 100-metre hurdles, fulfilling her lifelong dream of competing on the sport's biggest stage. 

Coming out of high school Harrison left the province to pursue training opportunities but struggled to find her stride. She returned to Saskatoon in 2017, unsure if she would continue competing in the sport.

"It took me a while to be able to find a training environment that worked well for me," Harrison said. 

"Luckily I was able to have success training here in Saskatoon, because I was always pushed away from Saskatoon [when I was] really young, but I ended up doing my best running here."

The three-time national champion had to overcome many obstacles on and off the track to qualify for her first Olympics at 31 years old.

WATCH | Hurdler Michelle Harrison fulfilling lifelong dream of competing on sport's biggest stage:

They included various injuries and years of competing with undiagnosed relative energy deficiency in sport, or REDS. That condition results from an imbalance in the energy the athlete takes in from food compared to the energy they're expending during exercise.

"I don't know if I would have been where I am today without all that — it definitely just made me a stronger person, and it made everything kind of a lot more worthwhile in the end," Harrison said.

Harrison said Saskatchewan's tight knit track and field community supporting her through the highs and lows played a role in helping to take her track and field career to the next level.

That includes fellow Evan Hardy Collegiate graduate and her personal coach Jason Reindl.

Reindl said Harrison's story of resilience is inspirational because most track and field athletes are in their prime during their 20s.  

"It's kind of flipping the script. It's kind of reinforcing that there aren't hard-written rules in regards to when you have to retire, whether it's post-pregnancy or into your 30s, the most important thing is just health," said Reindl, who is also head coach of the University of Saskatchewan's track and field team.

In Paris, Harrison hopes to run a personal best, have the chance to race for a medal and show the power of never giving up on your dreams.