Brittney Yurek has ended her high-school athletic career on a high note.
The Grade 12B student at Twin Lakes Secondary School earned gold and silver medals at the recent Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) meet at the University of Guelph.
Competing in the ambulatory category, Yurek earned a gold in the 100-metre dash with a time of 18.01 seconds and a silver in the 800-metre, finishing in a time of 3:56.25.
It was her second gold in a row, having secured the top spot in last year’s 100-metre dash at OFSAA.
“It was kind of mind blowing,” said Yurek.
She wasn’t saying that simply because she won back-to-back gold medals. She also had some setbacks.
Last fall, around the time she would usually start training for the spring track season, Yurek was at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children for an Achilles tendon lengthening. She was concerned about what it would mean for her running.
“The doctor said, ‘You can do it, but you’ll have to keep a brace on for a year,’” she recalled.
In the spring, she was finally able to begin training.
Despite those hurdles, as well as a false start at the recent OFSAA meet, Yurek came out on top.
“Honestly, I wasn’t expecting it,” she said. “I ran a season’s best with a false start.”
She likened her comeback to that of the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Eastern Conference championship.
“I’m imagining it as if the Raptors were down 2-0 against Milwaukee,” she said, adding she didn’t think she would be “recuperated enough” following her surgery. “I was worried it would end up tearing again.”
The doctor gave her the all-clear, and she was off and running.
While many, including coaches, are quick to praise Yurek for her athletic prowess, she is equally eager to turn the spotlight on her support system.
“I’m disappointed that it’s over, but I owe a lot of credit to the coaches, especially Mr. (Andrew) Corry. He’s had a big influence on me as an athlete,” she said of the man who has coached her since she was in Grade 9.
