“The Female Field” with Alysha Newman, Liz Gleadle, and Christabel Nettey

“The Meet Up” is a series of live events where we are joined by elite athletes to offer their advice to the next generation of track and field talent. On the second episode of “The Meet Up” series, “The Female Field,” we interviewed three phenomenal female athletes.

In this episode, we share stories and perspectives with Alysha Newman, Liz Gleadle, and Christabel Nettey. These three athletes are Olympians, Canadian record holders in their respective events, including pole vault, javelin, long jump and currently are all training for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics!

If you missed the first episode “The Long Stride”, check it out HERE for an interview and Q&A with Ben Flanagan, Justyn Knight, and Charles Philibert-Thiboutot.

Meet the athletes

Alysha Newman

Alysha Newman is a University of Miami alumna and the current Canadian record holder in the pole vault with 4.82m. She started in track and field running distance hurdles but eventually changed to pole vault. After making the switch, Alysha immediately started to excel; setting national records at the youth and junior level before becoming a six-time All-American and claiming the silver medal at the 2016 NCAA D-I Track and Field Championships. She kept the momentum rolling by making her Olympic debut at the 2016 Rio Olympics and continued on to win gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Christabel Nettey

Christabel Nettey is an Arizona State University alumna and the current Canadian record holder in the long jump with 6.99m. She found success early on, making her first Canadian team at the age of 14 and competing at the World Youth Track and Field Championships in the long jump and 100m hurdles. Since then, she focused on long jump and in 2013 claimed the silver medal at the 2013 NCAA D-I Indoor Track and Field Championships. She’s gone on to win gold at the 2015 Pan Am Championships, represented Canada at the 2016 Rio Olympics, and won gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games!

Liz Gleadle

A University of British Columbia alumna, Liz Gleadle is the current Canadian Record Holder in the javelin with 64.83m. She found early success, qualifying for her first youth championship just one year after deciding to focus on javelin. Liz broke the national youth record and became a four-time NAIA Champion, won a total of 9 Canadian titles in javelin, a gold medal at the 2015 Pan Am Championships, and in 2012 became the first Canadian woman to qualify for the Olympics in javelin since 1968. She also competed at the 2016 Rio Olympic games, making her a two-time Olympian - hopefully soon to be three!

Highlights of the episode

Here are some of the questions we covered in our interview. Be sure to check out the recording of the episode (above) for the full stories and perspectives from Alysha Newman, Liz Gleadle, and Christabel Nettey.

• What was it that made you fall in love with track and field?
• What factored into your decision to attend your chosen university?
• What advice do you have for those making the jump to the collegiate level?
• What helped you get through injuries, and how has it helped you become a better athlete today?
• What tips do you have for athletes to control their nerves before a competition?
• What would you say to inspire girls to continue in sports?

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