Representing Carleton University and the Canadian swimming community, Carleton professor Lynn Marshall carried the Pan Am torch through a section of Ottawa’s Chinatown earlier this month.
Marshall is a systems and computer engineering professor as well as the manager of Carleton’s swim team.
Marshall is also one of Canada’s greatest swimmers, having set a handful of world records, competed for Canada in several world tournaments, and been rated among the top 10 Masters swimmers in the world.
Marshall said she had known of the Pan Am games as a child growing up in Winnipeg, where she participated in competitions at the Pan Am Pool, built for the 1967 games.
After first checking that none of the other Carleton Masters swimmers were interested, Marshall submitted an application to be a torch bearer.
She said her biggest motivation was “wanting to support the Canadian athletes competing this year,” in particular her friend Melanie McCann, who participated in the modern pentathlon.
Marshall said she found the torch run itself to be meticulously organized. The motorcade drop-off, the passing of the torch and the speed of her run were all timed and co-ordinated.
Marshall was cheered on by a crowd of her own friends and family.
“It did feel quite intimate . . . the only person cheering for me who I didn’t know was the mail carrier who happened to be delivering mail on that block,” Marshall said.
She also noted the amount of diversity present at the event, saying her fellow torchbearers (some of whom were former Olympians or Paralympians) were of varying ages and ability.
While the Pan Am Games are often overshadowed by events like the Olympics or the World Cup, Marshall said they are still important and relevant.
“It does give a chance for a country like Canada to do really well in the medal standings compared to where they would likely place at the Olympics,” Marshall said. “I’ve been really impressed with how Canada has been doing.”
In addition, Marshall said the Pan Am games can be a “stepping stone” for many athletes to move on to bigger competitions.
July 25 marks the anniversary of another milestone in Marshall’s life; she broke her neck during a triathlon 22 years ago when she was struck by a vehicle that drove onto the racecourse.
Despite a bleak prognosis, Marshall recovered and has continued to compete successfully as a masters swimmer.
“There are times when I sort of do think back,” she said. “When you’re forced to stop doing your favourite activities, you really appreciate them a lot more once you’re able to start doing them again.”
Besides watching the Pan Am games, Marshall has spent her summer teaching computer engineering courses and is preparing for the new academic and swimming season.
