Meet Coach Courtney Hufsmith
Justin KentWe are super excited to welcome Courtney Hufsmith to the team. She’ll be working alongside Bridget Pyke, Matthew Travaglini and Lisa Harvey in building our community in the Calgary area, as well as accepting athletes of all abilities for remote coaching services.
Want to learn more about Courtney? Check out the little rapid-fire Q&A she did, below. You can also check out Courtney’s bio here.
Q: How long have you been running for?
I’ve been running full time with a track team/club since I was 17 – so 7 years (I switched to track full time after playing soccer for most of my early years), but I always competed in the cross country and track meets throughout high school and elementary.
Q: What got you into running?
My soccer coach in high school really encouraged me to pursue running, he saw a lot of potential in me (not quite as much in soccer 😆).
Q: Most memorable race?
Probably winning the bronze medal at the world university games in 2019. It was a very tactical race and I executed it exactly how I had planned with my coach – I think it’s a great example that what you do in practice/everyday will come through pretty much automatically on race day.
Q: Career Highlights
– There are 3 races that stand out as my favourites.
- The first one was winning 1500m bronze at the World University Games in Italy. I also set a personal best in that race and the season had been a bit rough leading up to the race, so it was great to have a breakthrough there. Those that are interested can also read about my experience there in this article.
- The second one was winning junior nationals in the 1500m which seems like a long time ago now but was a real turning point and showed me what can happen when you dedicate yourself to a sport.
- The last one was a meet I ran in Oregon and I got featured for the “kick of the week” on FloTrack. I like this one because it’s a great example of how what you do in practice comes through on race day. We worked on “gear changes” every Saturday and that paid off.
Q: Favourite race distance and why?
– The 1500m. The easy answer is that we typically enjoy doing the event that we are best at (comparatively), but what I really like about the 1500m is that it’s not always about the fastest and most talented runners. I’ve never considered myself to be very talented; I think my strengths are in my work ethic and how I strategically/tactically execute races, which lends itself to the 1500m event.
Q: Favourite quote?
“The only victory that counts is the one over Yourself.” – Jesse Owens
Q: Favourite workout?
2-3x (1000,600,400) rest 2,1,3
I also like long runs even though I’d say I’m more of a middle-distance runner.
Q: Most unexpected place running has taken you?
Italy!
Q: Favourite pre-race meal?
Salmon, brown rice and steamed veggies
Q: Favourite post-race meal?
Tiger tiger ice cream (does that count as a meal? – if not, a burger and fries)
Q: When are you most productive?
I’m a morning person so anytime between 5-11 am are golden hours.
Q: Summer or winter?
SUMMER
Q: What scares you?
Spiders, sharks, snakes
Q: If you could live anywhere in the world, where would that be?
Southern California
Q: Sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise
Q: What’s your favorite color?
PINK
Q: Favorite TV show?
Friends
Q: If you could be any animal what would it be?
A flamingo
Q: Where did you grow up?
Saskatoon, SK
Q: What are you most looking forward to with M2M?
The opportunity to get involved in the sport in a different way. We all have different goals and things that motivate us to run and I love getting a fresh perspective and taking a more lighthearted approach to the sport!
Q: Salty or sweet?
Morning – salty, afternoon – sweet (I don’t know why)
Q: Would you rather travel to the past or to the future?
Past
Q: Coffee or tea?
Tea
Q: What did you last take a photo of?
My Starbucks drink 🫠
Q: One item you can’t travel without?
Water bottle
Q: What is a sport you would like to try?
Beach volleyball