Malindi Elmore does not give up on her dreams easily.
Twenty years ago, the Kelowna resident helped represent Canada at the 2004 Athens Olympics in the women’s 1,500-metre race.
After failing to qualify for the semifinals, the long-distance runner eventually retired from track and field.
Elmore wasn’t done with sports, though, and she began running even longer distances. And 17 years later, she re-entered the world scene as a marathoner.
At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, she placed ninth.
Now, the 44-year-old mother of two is off to Europe to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics and is hoping to run down her dream of winning an Olympic medal in what will be her third attempt.
“I’m super excited to be going to the Olympics for my third time,” said Elmore, who, at age 41, was elected into the Central Okanagan Sports Hall of Fame. “I didn’t really expect I would be at this point now and I can’t wait.”
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She added, “I just wake up every morning, throw on my shoes and get after my goals.”
Elmore’s two sons, Oliver and Charlie, are her biggest little fans.
“At first, I was like ‘That’s like your second time in three years going to the Olympics,” said Charlie Hood, 10. “But now I realize it’s such a great deal.”
So, how does Elmore think she’s fair in France?
“If the opportunity is presented where I could be kicking down the last couple kilometres with a medal hope, I will never give up that dream.”
The women’s marathon, on Aug. 11, is the final event of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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